The Importance of Dreamwork in Psychotherapy

What are dreams? What’s their meaning, their purpose? Where do they come from?

Despite millennia of asking these sorts of questions, humanity has yet to arrive at a consensus. Modern-day “scientific” psychology has failed to yield any meaningful answers to these questions. For C. G. Jung—onetime colleague of Freud and one of the primary forerunners of the transpersonal psychology movement—dreams were of the utmost importance in human development. While lacking any sort of “scientific” theory about dreams, Jung maintained that paying attention to our dreams offered a vital channel for understanding messages from our unconscious to our conscious selves.

 For Jung, the role of the therapist in the process of analyzing a dream was to help a client pay attention in a deep way to all aspects of the dream, with a primary focus on the images and symbolic themes that the dream presented. He believed that connections to myths and fables from the past could unveil metaphorical journeys that the client might be on. Jung's criterion for evaluating dream interpretation was its effectiveness—the question simply being, "does it work?” The impact on the client's life determines whether it “works.” Does it offer meaningful insights into their questions or challenges? Does it help them move forward in ways that feel healthy and fulfilling?

If you’re not already engaged in dreamwork, I would encourage you to try it out. Here are a few simple tips to get you started:

1)    Keep a notebook by your bed, and immediately write down any dreams you remember when you wake up

2)    Reflect on your dream(s) during the day

3)    Return to your written record of the dream—this could be hours later or days later—read it, and spend some time journaling about emerging associations, especially those related to images and symbols

Engaging in dreamwork can deepen your connection with your unconscious self. If you have a therapist, consider bringing any dreams or insights gleaned from your dreams to your sessions. You may be pleasantly surprised at how sharing dreams or insights from them in sessions can enhance your therapeutic journey.