Individuation and Workplace Bullying: Descent and the Heroine’s Journey

Individuation, the lifelong Jungian process of becoming one’s true self, can be violently disrupted by workplace bullying. Such experiences often force a descent into the psychological underworld, where the victim faces shattered identity, recurring dreams of persecution, and profound existential uncertainty. Drawing on archetypal frameworks like the Heroine’s Journey, this article examines how bullying catalyzes a crisis in meaning and belonging, and how the spiral path of individuation offers both explanation and hope for authentic psychological renewal. Here is how to recognize the deeper psychological impact of bullying and how understanding the descent can open a path to recovery and renewed selfhood.