CATEGORY: PORT TOWNSEND
PHOTO: RICHARD MOSS

My trip into Jungian psychology and similar fields seemed tied up with houses.

There was Janet Dallet, a Jungian psychologist, who’s house I designed.

There was Dorothy Adams who’s house and landscape I designed.  She was the person who first got me interested in that form of psychology. (Read HOUSE AFIRE and DOROTHY ADAMS, CATEGORY: MORE PORT TOWNSEND in this blog)

There was Richard Moss who had bought the Furlong House, a huge Victorian.  Its second story had never been finished.  He hired me to plan the finishing as well as design his landscaping (my most favorite landscape design ever).  His direct manner was a lesson in honesty to me, and his book, THE I THAT IS WE, plus a related book, FOCUSING by E T Gendlin, both similar to RIGHT USE OF WILL aided me in that endeavor.

Then there was Russ Lockhart, another Jungian psychologist.  I didn’t work on his house but its location was one of the things that drew me to him.  It was on the east bluff directly adjoining a small “hanging valley”  that I had discovered, almost by accident, from the beach below.  I had been on a beach walk when, following the flight of an eagle, I had noticed through the trees and brush that the bluff seemed to have a large chunk or itself missing at the top.  Also through trees and brush, I found a steep path up the lower part of the bluff.  The missing chunk of the upper bluff had left a raised ledge maybe as big as a city block about half way up.  It too was covered with trees and brush.  It was so enticingly hidden and secret that I went back there several times.  The last time I found that someone had been living there in a tent, so I never went back again.  But I wondered if one could look down into it from Russ’s house.

I cannot remember how I happened to begin going to Russ.  At that time I badly needed to see a psychologist, but looking back, I also wonder if I didn’t choose him because I hoped to catch a glimpse of the magical “hole in the wall” from his house.  It sounds like something I would do.

My sessions with Russ were extremely helpful.  He made me see the importance of understanding my dreams.  He was kind and patient and provided a listening ear for my seemingly bottomless pit of fears, self doubts and endless tears.