My Philosophy of Dreamwork
(Excerpt from Honoring the Dream by Justina Lasley)

I believe the dream comes from a Higher Power, which I call God. I think that dreams carry the essence of our souls and contain the truth of our existence. By listening to our dreams, I believe we hear the voice of God and begin to understand God’s plan for our lives. I believe that part of this plan for all of us is to be inclusive rather than exclusive when it comes to others’ belief systems. I welcome group members whose religious or spiritual orientation is different from my own, and in fact I believe that a variety of perspectives contributes to the group in many ways.

In my experience all dreams are significant and can be used to come to new understanding by bringing unconscious material to consciousness. I have never worked with an individual on a dream that has not carried new information and truth for the dreamer. It is my belief that the dream is spirit talking to the conscious. I employ dreams to lead the dreamer on a path to awareness, personal growth, individuation, and enlightenment.

In my work, I honor the dreamer’s final authority over his dream. He is the only one who can know for certain the truth of his dream. The meaning of the dream is in relation to his personal existence; my role is that of facilitator, helping the truth emerge from the dream, but not determining the dreamer’s reality.

My dreamwork is an eclectic blend of various theoretical approaches. I base my approach predominantly on Jungian theory, but have found that all methods of psychological work to which I have been exposed can be practiced effectively in dreamwork.

I use Gestalt work extensively in my work. (Many Gestalt-type exercises are included in Chapter 11.) In general, I do not follow Freudian psychology; however, I do think aspects of Freud’s work are valuable and should be considered in a well-rounded approach to dreamwork. The theoretical approaches I use include Existential, Person-Centered, Adlerian, Psychoanalytic, Psychodrama, Art, Sand Tray, Behavioral, Transactional Analysis, Reality, and Rational Emotive Behavior therapies. Lucid Dreaming and Content Analysis are not primary in my work, but I do think they are important aspects of dreamwork and should not be discounted.

Dream enthusiasts owe a great deal to Dr. Montague Ullman, who laid the foundations for much of present-day group dreamwork. I follow his work in advocating the importance of safety and discovery in the dreamwork process, and the use of "If it were my dream."

I consider the most effective form of dreamwork to come from one’s own intuition and inner wisdom, because each dream is so unique, personal, and creative. I allow the dream to be my mentor for my dreamwork and have never been disappointed in the results.

See "About Justina" Page for information regarding Justina's experience in dreamwork.)

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