Psychodynamic Therapy - Dream Analysis Flashcards
What are the Aims of Dream Analysis?
- To reveal the unconscious and bring it to the conscious
- To uncover the latent content of a dream by examining the manifest content
- To offer insights that allow psychological issues to be resolved
What happens to our mind when we sleep?
The ego defenses are lowered so that some repressed material comes through to awareness, but in disguised form
What are the main components of Dream Analysis?
- Dreams as Wish Fulfillment
- The symbolic nature of dreams
- Dreamwork
- The role of the therapist
What is Wish Fulfillment
Freud believed that all dreams were the unconscious fulfilment of wishes that could not be satisfied in the conscious mind. Dreams protect the sleeper and allow some expression of the buried urges
What is the symbolic nature of dreams?
Although dreams allow us to fulfil our unconscious desires, the actual content of a dream is often expressed symbolically. This is to protect the conscious mind from being stressed. Therefore dreams are filtered through layers of symbolism
What is Manifest Content?
What the dreamer actually recalls, the story of the dream
What is Latent Content?
The hidden meaning of the dream, the underlying wish, desire or emotion
What is Dreamwork?
When the latent content of the dream is transformed into the manifest content
What are the 5 types of dreamwork?
- Condensation
- Displacement
- Secondary Elaboration
- Symbolism
- Representation
What is Condensation?
Condensing many different ideas into one - one dream image could stand for several associations and ideas
What is Displacement?
The emotional significance of the dream object is displaced onto another or person to protect our conscious mind
What is Secondary Elaboration?
The unconscious mind collects all the different images and ties them together to make a logical story, further disguising the latent content
What is Symbolism?
When a symbol replaces an action, person or idea
What is Representation?
When a thought is translated into a visual image
What is the role of the therapist?
The patient will talk to the therapist about the manifest content of their dream and the therapist will help guide the patient to uncovering the latent content
Who decides the final interpretation of the dream?
The patient does after the therapist gives the patient several interpretations of the dream
What are the limitations of Dream Analysis?
- The use of case studies
- Methodological issues
What is a strength of Dream Analysis?
- Lots of research support
What are the ethical problems of Dream Analysis?
- Emotional Harm to client and family
- The power the therapist has over the client
- False memory syndrome
List the process of Dream Analysis Therapy
- Dreamer recalls dream
- Therapist tries to uncover Dreamwork
- Therapist reverses Dreamwork
- Uncovers the latent content
- Therapist makes several interpretations of the dream
- The client selects which one applies to them the best
