Chicago Center for Integrative Psychotherapy

Doing Inner Work

Active Imagination

DREAMWORK
Why is it important that you allow us to help you remember and interpret your own dreams? After many years of research on the use of dreams in psychotherapy, Carl Jung wrote: No amount of skepticism and criticism has yet enabled me to regard dreams as negligible occurrences. Often enough they appear senseless, but it is obviously we who lack the sense and ingenuity to read the enigmatic message from the nocturnal realm of the psyche. Seeing that at least half our psychic existence is passed in that realm, and that consciousness acts upon our nightly life just as much as the unconscious overshadows our daily life, it would seem all the more incumbent on medical psychology to sharpen its senses by a systematic study of dreams. Nobody doubts the importance of conscious experience; why then should we doubt the significance of unconscious happenings? They also are part of our life, and sometimes more truly a part of it for weal or woe than any happenings of the day. What is a dream? A dream is a network of relationships that link past, present and future. It is a portrait or story of the interconnectedness between our everyday experience and the inner blueprint of our becoming. A dream often reveals to us perspectives that transcend our ordinary conscious life. Our daily life thrusts upon us so many relational demands and expectations that it is often difficult to step away and attend to the larger purposes and agendas of our selves in the world. A dream can point to a deeper meaning and understanding and lead to a new sense of direction and significance. What Dreamwork can offer you: 1) Strategies for remembering and recording your dreams; 2) An understanding of the different types of dreams and the psychological relevance for you of each type; 3) Give you special skills and methods to use in dialoging with your dream.

What are the unique skills and resources we will bring to aiding you in understanding your dreams?

We as a team offer you the following unique resources: A lifelong study of the mythic imagination as it manifests collectively through the cultural forms of the visual arts, literature, anthropology, archeology and world spiritual traditions. Why would this be so important? Because understanding the symbolism of the collective unconscious and the mythic imagination amplifies our understanding of the symbolism that appears in your dreams. While many therapists claim competence in this area, very few have mastered these areas formally, meaning at the doctoral and postdoctoral level. The capacity for in-depth understanding of the symbolic meaning of your experience is thus lacking. The ongoing research, writing and teaching at the graduate and post-graduate level keeps these two clinicians in top form to help you with your endeavor to change your life. They will be able to bring a deep understanding of each unique personality. This will help you understand how each of us function at times when problems arise. How we accidentally disarm the ability to cope at the most optimal level of functioning. And how we also over-work some areas of natural ability to compensate for problematic areas we are unaware of. Why trust this very important process of human growth and psychological awareness to someone who has not had the formal training necessary. Be an informed consumer you can do more reading on this topic in other areas of our website by clicking here.

What does this understanding bring to your dream life?

This is of critical importance because dreams are not just about personal themes. They speak in a special language, a special logic of sign and symbol that can inform and be understood in depth only by those who have studied extensively in these fields. Dr. Shanahan and Moore bring a unique and acute skill set to your work with them, linking the unique perceptions of the individual personality to these greater themes of the human condition and the endeavor toward self-discovery.