A Gestalt approach to dreams.
In the Gestalt approach a dream is not a riddle to decode but a living encounter with parts of yourself.
Dream work
Fritz Perls, one of the founders of Gestalt therapy, called dreams the royal road to integration. In dream work we do not look up a ready-made meaning for symbols. We tell the dream in the present tense, as if it were happening now, and explore what you feel as you tell it.
Every part of a dream, a person, an object or a place, can be seen as a part of you. When you give it a voice, a message, a feeling or an unfinished situation asking for attention often appears. It is the part of the work I especially love.
More about Gestalt psychotherapy →When dream work helps
- Recurring dreams
- Dreams that leave a strong feeling after waking
- Disturbing dreams
- Unfinished situations that return in dreams
- Wanting to understand yourself better
- Creative blocks
How we work
Write the dream down
Ideally as soon as you wake, together with the feeling you woke with. Even a fragment is enough.
Tell it in the present tense
“I am walking down a street…” instead of “I was walking”. That way the dream comes alive again.
Give its parts a voice
You can speak as a person, object or place from the dream, or bring them into dialogue.
Connect it with your life
We look at where what showed up in the dream also appears in your waking life.
Practicalities
Part of therapy or on its own
Dream work can be part of individual psychotherapy or a series of sessions devoted to dreams, in person or online.
You do not need the whole dream
An image, a feeling or a single scene is enough to begin.
Dreams and trauma
If you have nightmares linked to a traumatic experience, we will also talk about the EMDR approach.
Common questions
What if I do not remember my dreams?
Paying attention to dreams often helps you remember more of them. Many people start remembering once they start writing them down.
Will you tell me what my dream means?
Not by interpreting symbols. You are the expert on your dream, and I accompany you as we explore what it means to you.