1.

• Enter MindTap via the link provided.
  • Located in Part 2: Theories and Techniques of Counseling, read Chapter 8: Gestalt Therapy.
  • Complete the activities located in the “How do I practice what I learned?” folder.

2. Initial Post:What do you think about the Gestalt approach to exploring dreams?Additionally, what therapeutic value do you see in dream work? Be sure to connect your response to something you learned in Chapter 8.To clearly illustrate that connection, your response must contain the page number from the textbook in order to earn full credit.

3. respond to classmate

I think the Gestalt approach to exploring dreams is very unique and interesting. I find the idea that the various parts and aspects of our dreams are projections of ourselves is more compelling and useful than the traditional psychoanalytic method of dream interpretation. Rather than a simple intellectual understanding of a deeper meaning of a dream, the senses are connected in the active, present-oriented acting out of the various parts of the dream: “recognizing the senses and understanding projections go hand in hand” (p. 217). I think that this can lead to deeper exploration of the parts of ourselves which we can disown or find unacceptable, so that we can better integrate the elements of our whole self. While I agree with the statement that “if people do not remember dreams, they may be refusing to face what is wrong with their life,” I do not think this is always necessarily the case. They can also not remember their dreams because of problems with sleep, and I think others might have a better memory of dreams without having a greater acceptance or willingness to face what is wrong with their lives.

I think dream work can be a way to move forward when other, more conscious, approaches are leading to obstacles. It can be a way to approach an issue from a new angle. This can be a method of integrating parts of the self, exploring interpersonal conflicts which one has avoided, or finding new goals or passions which were previously overlooked. Some are more inclined to dream work than others, and I do not think everyone should be forced to go through this approach just for the sake of trying it out. However, I do think it can be a way for clients to become more active in their own therapeutic process by engaging them in and out of session. If they begin to take more initiative to write down the details of their dreams and to journal this can lead to a greater awareness and willingness to take on new perspectives and behaviors to benefit them and those in their lives.