"...Sigmund Freud still remains one of the most influential yet controversial figures in the history of psychoanalysis and psychotherapy. His concepts and techniques permeate the field of clinical psychology regardless of the orientation practitioners claim to follow."
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The Clinical Use of the Dream in Psychotherapy Edited by Robert C. Lane Trafford Publishing
book review by Corrina Underwood
The editor of this book is a distinguished professor of psychology at Nova Southeastern University and in its pages, he and the other contributing writers draw on there depth of their experience to present a re-visitation of Sigmund Freud's interpretation of dreams. Lane emphasizes that fact that despite the importance of dream work in psychotherapy, it is often neglected. This book provides validation of the usefulness of dream interpretation in helping clients resolve conflicts in their waking life.
The opening chapters highlight the debt that modern day psychotherapy owes to Freud and explains the psychoanalytic components of the dream and the tools that Freud developed to interpret these. Two chapters are dedicated to an in-depth look at the history of dream theory in psychoanalysis from its inception to its current interrelationships with socio-cultural theory and studies of the brain. Subsequent chapters provide examinations of dream language, components and manifest content and a series of dreams reported by an client accompanied by an in depth analysis. Contributing authors raise a number of interesting points for debate such as whether dreams should be interpreted from an interpersonal or intrapsychic perspective, how neuroscience and dream theory intersect, and the diagnostic and prognostic value of dream interpretation.
This is a valuable handbook for students of psychology and therapists who want to expand their knowledge of both the theoretical and practical side of dream interpretation, so that they can feel more confident about working with dreams in their clinical practice. The authors provide a refreshing and contemporary look at Freudian dream theory at the same time emphasizing the genius of the man who created it. From beginning to end, this book takes the reader through a stimulating exploration of the multiple layers of dream analysis and shows how it is still of great value in the practice of psychotherapy today.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review