Creating Safety in Dream Groups: Ideas from Ullman
What’s the single most important factor in a successful dream group? Safety. This may be why the method of Dream Appreciation by Montague Ullman is the most popular dream group method. Every step of the way, the dreamer’s safety is considered. What maintains the dreamer’s sense of trust in the process? Confidentiality of course, and
Jungian Dreamwork and Focusing: Delving Deeper in the Experience of Dreaming
This article brings together my two favorite approaches in psychotherapy and personal growth: that of dreamwork and focusing. In my work, they are intertwined in ways that make it difficult to tease apart, so I am taking this opportunity to articulate the way they both differ and complement each other. I will highlight the work
Why Do We Dream? Maybe We Should Ask Our Bodies
Mark Blumberg, a University of Iowa researcher, has a new idea about why we dream – it’s our body mapping itself while we sleep. His research, recently featured in the New Yorker magazine, is a departure from existing theories that suggest in dreaming, we are making sense of our experiences, consolidating memories, processing emotions, possibly
Resistant to Your Dream Life? Here’s why you should push through it
Resistance to dreaming comes in many forms, and may be part of the reason we collectively forget so many of our dreams. In a dominant culture that leans toward the rational, empirical side of things, the magical, mysterious and unseen aspects of our existence can be lost or dismissed. Lost or dismissed. This seems to
Night Moves: Understanding Dream Enactment and REM Behavior Disorder
By Dr. Leslie Ellis Our scariest nocturnal experiences may not be the greatest cause for concern. Those who experience sleep paralysis wake up while still in a dream state, unable to move a muscle. This is often accompanied by the sense of a malevolent presence in the room, even right in bed! Believe it or
Dreamweaving: Introducing a Method for Collective Dream Experiencing
Dream groups are a beautiful way to deepen into a dream, gathering a wider range of impressions and perspectives than we receive when we dive into our dream material alone or with a partner. I have led dream groups in many forms for decades, and love how the universality of dream images ultimately hold meaning
How Are You Dreaming? A Very Simple Question to Screen for Suicide Risk
Your dreams are an excellent barometer of your emotional life. And for those at risk for suicide, they can be a warning sign that is too often ignored. I have been calling for more clinicians to ask about dreams when their clients are dangerously depressed, and am pleased to see that others are joining the
How to be a Soothing Presence: Keeping Nothing Between
The essence of working with another person is to be present as a living being. And that is lucky, because if we had to be smart, or good, or mature, or wise, then we would probably be in trouble. But, what matters is not that. What matters is to be a human being with another
The Vagal Paradox: A Current Summary of Polyvagal Theory
Porges’ recent article has two main purposes: first, to set out a clear, complete description of the Polyvagal Theory in accessible language to clear up confusion and misconceptions among those who apply and describe it; second, to systematically address criticism of PVT in the literature. This is a summary of the former, especially as it