ABSTRACT
In addition to turning our attention to deeper matters, the benefits of working with dreams in clinical practice include the fact that dreams are creative and engage clients in the therapy process. They point to our most salient emotional concerns. They bypass our internal editing process and normal defenses, and so are unflinchingly honest representations of our life situation. Dreams can bring a new and wider perspective on a situation that seems stuck. They provide diagnostic information and can be an indicator of clinical progress. They help to regulate emotions, and working directly with the feelings dreams engender may strengthen this positive effect. They can be a safe pathway to working with trauma. The “big” dreams we occasionally experience can literally change our lives, and dream therapy can facilitate and integrate this transformation. Each of these points is expanded upon and explained, followed by a brief summary of research into the clinical use of dreams. Taken as a whole, this chapter is intended to bring both a new appreciation for dreamwork in clinical practice, and a sense of confidence that such a thing is accessible and useful to all therapists, regardless of theoretical orientation.
