becoming more insightful of who you are and the choices you make, don’t make, and could make.
finding more sides of yourself.
discovering your natural balance as a leader.
We spend so much time perfecting the mask that we forget who’s underneath it. But the parts we hide don’t stay quiet. They show up in our leadership, relationships, and resistance to change. Wholeness isn’t about fixing flaws. It’s about recognising that the traits we fear or reject often hold the very qualities we need: discernment, power, courage and presence.
Real leadership begins when we stop managing impressions and start integrating who we really are.
I have created a concept named honey-ghost-trap®. It is based on academic research and inspired by Carl Jung's theories that everyone has a shadow side that we don't want to acknowledge. Knowing all sides of oneself is an asset for leaders at all levels. To provide an even better understanding for my work, I have coined the term: "Inner psychological safety".
Inner psychological safety complements psychological safety, which is the belief that noone in a team will be punished in any form for voicing ideas, questions, concerns or mistakes.
Today's leaders have one of the most important and complex roles. Leaders who act from an inner psychological safety dare to show all parts of themselves, despite fear. They dare to speak up, even if a harsh inner critic says NO. They dare to let go of their mask and bring in what is needed to get the work done.
The honey-ghost-trap® program can be performed LIVE or online. It can be adapted to and complement existing leadership programmes. In addition, there is an opportunity to become certified as a facilitator to coach and train others.
Would you like to get to know your shadow, find your inner psychological safety and become better in your leadership role? Or are you interested in helping others do just that? Welcome to honey-ghost-trap®.
/Ann Askenberger
- Ann Askenberger, the founder
Psychotherapist Carl Jung is the one who coined "The Shadow" over 100 years ago. The thought that we have traits we want to hide has existed since the beginning of time, but Jung's profound insights into the human psyche have been crucial to the modern view on human beings.
We offer Facilitator training towards individuals (Level 1) and teams (Level 2), both for internal organizational purposes and for freelance consultants wanting to expand their service portfolio.
Trainings are performed live and online, both in English and Swedish.
Currently, honey-ghost-trap® has certified facilitators in: Sweden, The Netherlands, and Norway. Belgium, France and Switzerland are coming soon.
Ann Askenberger has been coaching leaders in organizations and business for over 25 years. She is educated at INSEAD (named #1 European Business School by Financial Times 2024), where in 2021 she wrote her Master Thesis on an exciting psychological phenomenon among top managers, which became the basis for her method for leadership development, honey-ghost-trap®.
By now, hundreds of managers at different levels have received individual leadership training in honey-ghost-trap®.
Ann is also responsible for all Facilitator training.
Here are a few vocies of the top leaders who have taken the leadership training:
"I think one of the great benefits of being involved in this process for a long time is that I have seen things in myself and in my leadership that have become clear to me, which have not really been clear to me before. It has been very good and useful to take forward."
- Carina Håkansson, board member of SCA, AFRY and Vasaloppet and chair of IVA's Division VIII.
"This work gives me a broader palette and it makes me more secure and I get access to more qualities that strengthen me both as a private person and in my leadership. And a higher tolerance for so much too, because everything has two sides."
- Astrid Westfeldt Corneman, CEO Nackademin
"The work with the shadow theory has allowed me to see in my team that people are different and must be allowed to be so, and that it is I who must relate to how I behave towards those who require and need completely different types of input and output from me."
- Ulrika Dieroff, Head of Business Services at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Southern Sweden
We are pleased to introduce our new mini course on the shadow work. 11 short videos with practical exercises to kick start your knowledge about the shadow. Once you have gone through them, you will be well on your way to more in depth understanding and have concrete tools to work with. (in English and Swedish)
Praktiskt Skuggarbete på 15 minuter
"Your shadow is your strength" - the power of affirming all parts of yourself in life's different roles.
This book explores the powerful and often overlooked concept of the Shadow—the hidden sides of ourselves that contain both what we fear and what we can harness as strengths. Drawing on insights from Jungian psychology, it guides the reader in discovering, understanding, and integrating these aspects of their inner life. Rather than focusing on self-improvement in a traditional sense, the book provides tools to approach and embrace the parts of ourselves that we often ignore or deny. It demonstrates how the Shadow, which holds our fears, shame, and suppressed sides, can also be a source of strength, creativity, and personal growth.
With a combination of theory and practical exercises, this book is for those who wish to embark on a deeper journey toward greater self-awareness and a more authentic self-image.
Available in Swedish and English.
– om kraften i att bejaka alla delar av sig själv i livets olika roller (ny omarbetad utgåva)
- Embracing Your Whole Self in Every Role in Life (new revised edition)
If you are interested in helping leaders find their natural balance, then becoming a certified honey-ghost-trap® Facilitator can be for you. For those with previous facilitation and coaching experience, this provides an opportunity to add the method to your existing workshops and leadership development programs.
We give trainings in Swedish and English.
“In the HR field, we often talk about talent development, leadership, and organizational culture—usually with a focus on what is visible and measurable.
But true transformation often takes place beneath the surface: in our blind spots that limit our potential, or in the unspoken rules—personal or collective—that quietly hinder change or lead to premature judgments.
I've always been interested in how people function within systems and relationships. The HGT method deepens that perspective by revealing the underlying patterns that shape our behavior and interactions. Today, I am proud to be a certified HGT facilitator."
"I got certified in 2023, and one of the reasons is that I appreciate that the method focuses on understanding and inviting the whole person with all its sides.
It is extremely valuable to use the method to quickly, respectfully and accurately discover and create an understanding of important and precious shadow sides within the self that we previously did not have full view of. We get an insight into how these shadow sides came to be and also how they influence and steer both our thoughts, behaviors and decisions.
With that insight and understanding, we become wiser in relation to ourselves, but we also understand our fellow human beings better.”