Working with Dreams in a Clinical Setting

A disturbed sleep pattern, nightmares, and anxiety-filled dreams form a cluster of symptoms belonging to the DSM— IV diagnosis of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. A psychotherapeutic group approach aimed at reducing these symptoms was undertaken in the form of a workshop. The workshop was not a regular part of the treatment program, but an experimental endeavor, offered to the patients during special occasions in the year (around holidays). The therapist was primarily interested in investigating possibilities for improving the quality of sleep and influencing the patterns of recurring anxiety-filled dreams and nightmares. The method has both structured and psychodynamic elements. The work carried out during the dream group was embedded in the total treatment program. This was crucial to allow personal themes to be continued in the regular treatment program.