Therapist perspectives on their dreams about clients: A qualitative investigation

Abstract

The authors interviewed eight experienced therapists regarding their dreams about clients and analyzed the transcribed interview data using consensual qualitative research. Results indicated that dreams typically were about difficulties with clients, intense personal concerns, and negative interpersonal interactions. Therapists used multiple methods to work with the dreams and made gains in insight focusing on countertransference or overidentification and the need to make fundamental changes in the therapeutic relationship or in the therapist's life. On the basis of the insight, therapists made changes in the treatment of the dreamed-about clients and in their personal lives. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

The Use Of Dreams In Modern Psychotherapy

“…Kron and Avny speculated that the dreams reflected therapists' unresolved issues, a projection of clients' difficulties, or problems in the therapeutic relationship. Spangler et al (2009) qualitatively examined eight experienced therapists' dreams about their clients. Therapists' dreams reflected either particularly challenging clients or an extreme amount of stress in the therapists' life.…”

Art therapy in schools – The therapist's perspective

“…The integration of these theories and models into training programs can help therapists fit into the school system, and increase the effectiveness of the therapy they provide within these settings. A similar research approach which draws on the experience of therapists working toward the formulation of theoretical conceptualizations and innovative work models is well-known in the field of psychotherapy (Ladany, Hill, Thompson, & O'Brien, 2004;Spangler, Hill, Mettus, Guo, & Heymsfield, 2009) and has recently become more common in research in the field of art therapy (Regev & Snir, 2013, 2014. However, it is important to note that this research was based on interviews with art therapists and reflects the participants' subjective perceptions.…”

Linking psychological need experiences to daily and recurring dreams

“…According to Freud and other psychodynamic theorists, dream themes offer some disguise for the real-life events because these are otherwise painful or unacceptable to the dreamer (Allport 1937 ). Despite the potential ambiguity of dream themes, it is apparent that certain events or objects are common to dreams; these have been identified in large-scale surveys (Nielsen et al 2003 ), and through therapists’ collections (Spangler et al 2009 ) and include falling, fire, swimming, being chased or pursued, being nude or inappropriately dressed, and being frozen with fright, among other themes. Indeed, when testing students, themes such as “being attacked”, “falling”, or failure-related themes involving school are commonly reported by approximately three to four out of five respondents (Griffith et al 1958 ; Nielsen et al 2003 ).…”