Dream Work In Therapy
A General Theory on How Dreams Work
- Dreams are meant to balance our waking perspectives/subjectivity to give insight on another way of viewing our life situation
- Dreams ‘speak’ to us in symbols and metaphors, using stored material in the form of images from our memories that serve as associations to express unconscious conflicts/feelings/experiences
Dreams were compensatory to the conscious point of view; expressions of aspects of the individual which were neglected or unrealized… often expressions of the ‘other side’ trying to assert itself.
– Anthony Storr, The Essential Jung
The Purpose of Engaging and Exploring Dreams
- To offer a different way of looking at our life’s circumstances, giving us new perspectives, creating a more holistic viewpoint
- Gain a deeper understanding of our experiences
- Decrease anxiety and stress and increase a sense of control over one’s life
- Increase a sense of connectedness to inner resources and understanding of healing
The dream is a message from and to the dreamer about their chosen mode of being-in-the-world.
– Eric Hall, Carol Hall, Pamela Stradling and Diane Young, Guided Imagery
How to do Dream Work
- Symbol appreciation, or exploring personal and collective associations with dream imagery
- Expressive Arts – recreating the dream or symbols of the dream through drawing, painting, sculpting, collage, mandalas or movement
- Dream re-entry using guided imagery
- Engaging with various elements of the dream using Active Imagination
All dreams come in the service of health and wholeness.
– Tallulah Lyons, Dreams and Guided Imagery
If you would like to schedule a one-on-one session or are interested in exploring your dreams in a small-group format, click here to set up an appointment.
Making Resolutions Stick In 2014!
The New Year represents new beginnings, a fresh start, a chance to get closer to the person you would like to be, the life you want to be living. Setting aside bad habits, letting go of crutches that you may have outgrown or no longer need and patterns that are no longer serving you can be both empowering and challenging. Ultimately, we all want to feel better about our bodies, minds, capabilities, or station in life, but how do we implement our ideas of being more fit, well educated, healthier, or more financially secure?
According to the blogpost Hacking Habits: How To Make New Behaviors Last For Good by Jocelyn K. Glei on www.99u.com , there is a very specific protocol for changing behavior. Through modifying habit loops, which include the 3 steps ‘cue, routine, and reward,’ we are able to set ourselves up for success in our new endeavors.
If you want to get rid of a bad habit, you have to find out how to implement a healthier routine to yield the same reward. – Charles Duhigg, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business
If you are seeking to create life changes this new year and would the support of a Licensed Professional Counselor, contact me to set up an appointment. It would be my honor to help you to create and maintain positive change in your life!