ABSTRACT
Dreams contain complex high-level information and they can provide access to energy-charged psychological content. The therapeutic setting – both individually and in groups – is an important laboratory for developing the principles of practical dreamwork. The approach to and outcome of dreamwork is dependent on the dreamer’s self-knowledge, age, prior knowledge of dreamwork, ego-strength and ability to contain and reflect on the material. In order to secure a safe place for the dreamwork some ethical rules must apply. Communication about dreams must respect dreamer integrity and dignity at all levels of dreamwork. Dreamworkers must maintain awareness of their role as potential transference objects and as role models for communication. Many people experience more or less hidden anxieties that their dreams might reveal something bad about them as human beings. A primary and essential condition for actively working with dreams is rem.
