ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the use of story and dreams in arts-based therapy and the special role they can play in the arrival of breakthrough moments for the author's clients. It describes how therapists eventually came to a possible understanding of the meaning of Elias' story and how this helped him understand that events from his past were affecting his current relationships. Dreams are stories too, albeit stories that frequently involve surreal and confounding elements–they come from the depths of our subconscious. Dreams often seem to provide the possibility for breakthrough moments and heightened awareness, as they tend to remain highly charged long after the dreamer has awoken. In the case of arts-based psychotherapy, a client's dream is unique in that it is an example of an art-image that a client inadvertently creates outside the therapy room. Working therapeutically with clients' dreams frequently precipitates breakthrough moments and extended deep experiencing.
