Dream Work: A Psychoanalytic Perspective
Course Overview
More than 100 years ago, Sigmund Freud's pioneering work with dreams revealed a hidden world of unconscious thoughts and wishes. Freud's theories and methods continue to speak to mental health professionals. This course is intended to give clinicians a basic understanding of Freud's theory of dream interpretation, to explain practical techniques for use with patients, and to describe the therapeutic gains obtainable with dream work. It will begin with brief summations of Freud's contribution to the search for dreams' significance and the impact of his development of psychoanalysis. Connections to contemporary dream research are established. Issues surrounding specimens, including Freud's dreams, the clinician's own, and those of patients, are discussed.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Outline Freud's contributions to the psychoanalytic tradition.
- Describe Freud's approach to dreams.
- Identify psychologic mechanisms involved in building a dream.
- Identify shared concepts within psychoanalysis.
- Describe an example of modern dream research.
- Explain the key differences between psychoanalysts and other mental health clinicians.
- Discuss the influence of culture, ethnicity, and technology on dreaming.
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Describe the dreamer's role in interpreting symbols in dreams.
About the Author/Presenter
Suzanne Saldarini, MA, LPC, NCPsyA, is a certified psychoanalyst and licensed professional counselor in private practice in Ramsey, New Jersey. She sees individuals, couples, children, and adolescents in both long and short-term psychotherapy. She earned psychoanalytic certification at the New Jersey Institute for Training in Psychoanalysis, where she has taught The Interpretation of Dreams and served as Curriculum and Membership chairs; she continues at NJIT as a faculty member and control analyst. Ms. Saldarini began formal study of dreams as an analytic candidate but first read Freud as a psychology undergraduate at Drew University. Her graduate career in psychology began with basic research in observation of child behavior in natural settings at the University of Kansas. A certified School Psychologist, she completed many years of practice in schools and agencies both public and private before her return to Freudian study and finally psychoanalytic training and practice. She has made continuing education presentations on Freud’s approach to dreams at annual conferences for both the New Jersey Counseling Association and the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Ms. Saldarini has also authored two children's books on dreaming, About Dreams and Harry's Dream.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Counselor, Social Work
If you require special accommodations, please contact Colibri Healthcare Support by clicking here: Contact Us
