DREAMS - WHAT ARE THEY?

Dreams…
convey to us in figurative language – that is,
in sensuous concrete imagery – thoughts, judgements, views, directives and tendencies,
which were unconscious either because of repression or through mere
lack of realisation. CG. Jung C.W. 8 par.477

Dreams are all around us, yet what are they? Are they merely our brains running in overdrive at the end of a busy day, or do our dreams provide a valuable resource for thinking about ourselves and our life? Are dreams just a hangover from our primitive origins? Should we be paying attention to our dreams and if so, how do we learn to understand them? Can we learn to dream more? Are there different sorts of dreams, and is it possible to tell the difference? Does a dream have one specific meaning or a whole range of possibilities?

These are some of the questions people bring as they begin to be aware of their dreams as part of their psychotherapeutic journey toward wholeness. Carl Jung calls this process individuation. It is the process by which we become a psychological individual, it is a life time’s work but it can be enhanced by psychotherapy.

I am interested in working with people who are considering engaging with their unconscious especially their unconscious dream life. Dream-work is a complex process requiring commitment and time because whilst individual dreams can be and are significant, it is through the accumulation of images over a period of time that their significance becomes clear and accessible.