Dream work (1/3) - what is the movement?

No doubt we do feel that our dreams hold significance with regard to our deeper feelings about our current experience. How could they not when they often contain such strong feeling? But how many of us really believe the symbolic imagery from the Jungian approach really relates to us as individuals? Was that flying dream really about freedom? Is a dream about my teeth falling out about anxiety? And how could that be the same for everyone?

Adlerian psychotherapists have a different approach to dreams. Actually, we have three therapeutic techniques, but I’ll just describe one method here. This is based on two principles: firstly, that we are individuals, a unique product of our social context and the interpretations we’ve developed.

Secondly, we’re always interested in the movement in our behaviours - what are we doing, or not doing. Using these principles for dream work we can ask the following questions, and this is totally something you can try on yourself or friends:

Questions after a dream

Next time you have a vivid dream, complete these sentences, to get access to your deeper feelings about something currently going on for you:

• In this dream, I was trying to ……………………………………. .

• If only I could have ……………………, I would have felt more ……………………………………………. .

• I just couldn’t …………………………………….. .

If this modality appeals to you and you’re thinking about having therapy, do get in contact.