Back in the earlier days of psychotherapy, dream interpretation was an important focus of treatment. Those visions were explored as windows into the unconscious and the symbolic content containted the secrets to a deeper understanding of self and the keys to a improved life. But times have changed, and anyone interested in dream work now has to dig through a list hacks and para-professionals to find a credible therapist who does it. This weekend, the Washington Post published an interesting piece on the current state of dream interpretation, which covers the diversity of the technique from classic analysis to TV interpretation.

Still, there is bias against dreaming, agrees Clara Hill, a professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Maryland. Some of the bias comes from a lack of understanding dreamwork, particularly the aspects that sound a little paranormal.

I’ve never been a fan of dream interpretation, have never made it part of my work, and it has become less accepted in the current Evidence Based Practice movement. However, I do have colleagues that do a limited form of it and say that with the right client it can be a very powerful tool. Overall, I think that if the mix of therapist, client, and content are right, then it can certainly be helpful a helpful part of therapy.

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    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 28 Oct 2006
    Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.