Existential Dreamwork

Dreams have been taken seriously for thousands of years, yet most conversations about dream interpretation still tend to fall into one of two camps. Either dreams are dismissed as meaningless brain activity, or someone on the internet claims they can tell you exactly what your dream means. I don't believe either of those approaches is particularly useful. Dreamwork is not about dream dictionaries, universal symbols, or having someone else dictate what is happening in your unconscious mind. The same image can mean something completely different from one person to the next. For instance, I once saw someone claim that dreaming about police officers indicates protective figures appearing to help the dreamer. But what if the dreamer has a painful history with police? What if they have experienced discrimination, injustice, or fear in relation to law enforcement? What if their parent was a police officer and their relationship was difficult? The image may be the same, but the meaning is not. Dreams emerge from your life, your relationships, your memories, your fears, your values, and your experiences, making them a rich area for existential therapy and psychotherapy. To truly understand a dream, I first need to understand you.

My approach to dreamwork is informed by existential therapy, Jungian, psychodynamic, and other depth-oriented traditions. Don't be fooled by those who dismiss dream interpretation as useless or unhelpful; working with dreams in psychotherapy is shown to improve therapy outcomes and is considered an evidence-based practice with substantial research backing it up! I view dreams as another way your inner life communicates. They often bring forward aspects of yourself that lack words, tensions simmering beneath the surface, questions you're avoiding, possibilities you have yet to consider, or experiences that haven't been fully processed. I am not interested in reducing every dream to hidden anger, repressed sexuality, or a single neat explanation. Most dreams are far more complex than that; they deserve curiosity rather than certainty. Dreams are not separate from your life. They grow from the same relationships, concerns, fears, hopes, memories, and questions that shape your waking experience. Paying attention to them can sometimes unveil insights that have been difficult to see, name, or confront. The goal is not to arrive at the correct interpretation. Instead, the aim is to deepen your understanding of yourself and foster an ongoing conversation with your unconscious, so that when your dreams speak to you, you are ready to listen.

When we engage in dream interpretation, we slow down to explore the images, emotions, people, places, and events that emerge from your dreams. Rather than relying solely on universal meanings, we focus on your personal associations, paying attention to what feels alive, surprising, unsettling, or meaningful. Over time, patterns can emerge that provide insights into how you are living, the struggles you face, and what your life may be asking of you. Dreamwork is integrated within the context of psychotherapy and can enhance ongoing therapy sessions whenever dreams arise. It can also be explored through phone sessions or via email for those who prefer to write about their dreams and reflections. This personal and integrative approach does not require a fixed schedule; however, as with all forms of psychotherapy, more frequent engagement usually leads to improved results. In dream interpretation, intentionally dedicating time to write down details and themes can enhance dream recall over time. While dreamwork with a psychotherapist doesn’t have to be frequent, you will benefit more from your dreams if you set aside some time each morning to document them, even if you initially feel you have nothing to write. You don’t need to remember dreams every night, believe they hold hidden messages, or have prior knowledge of dream theory or psychology. All that’s required is a willingness to cultivate curiosity about your own experiences. Click here to connect if you’re interested in beginning dreamwork with me. While I may occasionally utilize dream dictionaries, symbols, tarot cards, and archetypal images to deepen this existential therapy work, the primary focus will be on your personal ideas and associations, including how you recall your dreams and any creative expressions you engage in, such as painting, sketching, or music.