dream therapy

• how assumptions are applied

  • mental disorders come from unconscious mind usually due to repressed emotions from childhood experiences or id
  • treat by accessing unconscious mind eg. via dream analysis as when we sleep our ego defences lower
  • but threatening material is disguised through dreamwork = conversion from manifest to latent content
  • aim of dream analysis is to reverse dreamwork
• what are the 4 components of dream analysis

  • dreams as wish fulfilment
  • symbolic nature of dreams
  • dream diary
  • role of the therapist
• dreams as wish fulfilment = primary process thinking eg repressed desires of the id is carried out in dream to protect sleeper
• symbolic nature of dreams = latent content is true wishes and manifest content is how they are symbolised to protect us = this process is called dream work
• dream diary = record dreams as soon as waking so don't forget them = creates basis for discussion in therapy
• role of the therapist = reverse dreamwork process = freud argues only trained psychoanalysts can do this and dream dictionaries should not be used
• effective = supporting evidence = solms = pet scan = rational area of brain (ego) was inactive when dreaming but what freud called to unconscious (memory) was active = effective at making us consciously aware of issues
• effective = supporting evidence = Falk and hill = 22 divorcees aged 22-57 in 8 week dream interpretation groups vs 12 women in control = those in dream group had higher self esteem and insight = help to adjust negative feelings
• ineffective = subjective interpretations = freud didn't support dream dictionaries and it is difficult to scientifically demonstrate any interpretations of reverse dreamwork = one therapist may have a completely different view to another
• ethical = addresses underlying issues = works on uncovering unconscious conflicts by bringing them upfront and helping to reduce the long term effects = unlike biological and behavioural which only treat symptoms dream analysis helps treat route cause
• unethical = may cause distress = reveals previously repressed traumas = repressed for a reason = may cause psychological harm by acknowledging them
• unethical = power imbalance = therapist takes expert role and patient becomes reliant = unethical as can lead to over dependence
• unethical = can create false memories = documented cases = FMS = false memory syndrome suggested by troop = negative reprocussions