A Course: Meditate on Archetypal Images to Ease Depression

My name is Stefan Emunds. I’m a certified Positive Psychology coach and have worked with archetypal images for over forty years. I want to bring these two fields together to create a course that teaches how to work with archetypal images to ease depression.

Help me to develop this course that teaches a low-effort, high-impact technique that boosts vitality, eases depression, and opens a path to wellness.

Approximately 280 million people worldwide live with depression. It’s a leading cause of disability and contributes significantly to the global burden of disease. People with depression also face a 40% higher risk of developing cardiovascular and metabolic conditions.

Each year, close to 800,000 people die by suicide, and more than half of them suffer from depression.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), depression rose by 25% during the first year of COVID-19. In Germany, one in four adolescents is under psychological strain.

Despite the need, more than 75% of people in low- and middle-income countries receive no treatment for depression. Even in wealthier nations, many face long wait times, limited access, or poor-quality care.

The road to recovery is steep. Many still see depression as a weakness, especially in communities that prize self-reliance. This stigma stops people from seeking help.

Barriers to therapy include:

• High costs and poor insurance coverage

• Shortages of trained professionals, especially in rural areas

• Long waiting lists in cities

• Low energy and motivation from the illness itself

• Lack of awareness or mislabeling symptoms

• Cultural and language gaps in available care

• Parental gatekeeping for adolescents

This is not a standalone therapy but serves as a complement to professional treatment—a tool to restore energy, build momentum, and support personal growth.

The first phase of this project will produce an online video course in English and German. The next phase will expand into an in-person, coach-led group format in Germany, where participants can learn, reflect, and grow together with guided support. The third phase will bring this in-person coaching to other countries.

AIT – A picture achieves more than a thousand words