Working with Dreams in Therapy

Dreams can be a powerful doorway into the deeper layers of our inner world. In therapy, working with dreams can help us tune in to what is stirring beneath the surface—feelings, memories, and parts of ourselves that may not yet have words. The storylines of our dreams come from our subconscious and play out on the screens of our consciousness, often showing us things in images, sensations, or metaphors we would not access in waking life.

Unlike dream dictionaries or fixed interpretations, I approach the meaning of a dream as deeply personal and subjective. What a river, a cat, or a locked door represents to one person might be entirely different for someone else. Our individual histories, experiences, and inner landscapes shape our dreams. Interestingly, babies do not begin to dream until they are about six months old, because it takes time and memory to build the material that dreams draw from.

In therapy, dreams can be a powerful way to connect with parts of ourselves that might be hidden, hurting, or longing to be heard. When we approach them with curiosity rather than certainty, dreams become an invitation to deeper self-understanding and healing.

Sam Trivett is a Registered Clinical Counsellor providing trauma therapy in Vancouver and online throughout BC.