I'm just reporting on the difference I saw between the analysts (who are required to undergo their own years of analysis) and therapists (who may or may not have had counseling). I also see analysis as different than therapy. Mainly though, I was commenting on my own experience of the two different types of psychotherapy, based on the practitioner's own level of self examination.

I'm not sure if you've been through Jungian analysis, but it is an entirely different animal. I couldn't hack it. It's hard to explain here, but it wasn't examining facial expressions and minute gestures. It was just very deep work. Very challenging. I'm not promoting it or defending it, and certainly not disagreeing about the very serious flaws in the industry as a whole--just saying that I notice when a practitioner is held accountable to high standards and they have done some work of their own, it has shown in our interactions. I quite liked them and found them to be humane and not the paint by numbers therapy I've seen done by others.

I don't know what my current therapist's experience with therapy has been. She's said she has a therapist, and she doesn't tend to get wrapped up in her own stuff. Whether or not that's as a result of work she's done for herself or just who she is, I can't know. I do know it's a crap shoot to find a good therapist and that the industry does a hideously poor job of monitoring itself.