Abstract

'Delia Cushway's wealth of experience makes this new edition an essential read for all aspiring counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists as well as for more experienced practitioners seeking to enhance their practice' - Prof Sue Wheeler, Director of Doctoral Programme, Institute of Lifelong Learning

'I found the book fascinating, illuminating not only my client's material but also my own night-life. The book's strength lies in integrating perspectives from many different psychotherapeutic disciplines, from psychoanalytic to cognitive' - Diana Sanders, Counselling Psychologist and Cognitive Psychotherapist

This practical book shows how dreamwork can be a fruitful therapeutic tool for all therapists and practitioners in the helping professions. Emphasising that dreams are a powerful means of accessing an individual's emotions, creativity and wisdom, Delia Cushway has updated the first edition to include:

- Skills for working with trauma and survivors of sexual abuse

- Cross-cultural, spiritual and religious approaches to dreamwork

- Up-to-date research and theory on using Cognitive, Objectivist and Constructivist models and methods

- The importance of reflective practice

- Scientific functions and meanings of dreams and their role in information processing and memory consolidation.

Steeped in practical hints and tips, vivid case examples and methods of interpreting dream language, this highly accessible guide is an invaluable resource for therapists.

Delia Cushway is Emeritus Professor of Clinical Psychology at Coventry University and a practising Registered Clinical Psychologist.

Robyn Sewell is a Chartered Psychologist and Group Psychotherapist, now fully retired.

'Cushway and Sewell both have a wealth of experience in incorporating dream work into therapy. The authors cover various types of therapies -- Gestalt, cognitive, psychoanalytic, behavioral, and so on -- providing examples on how dream work can be incorporated into each. An integrative approach allows the reader/therapist to move seamlessly from one type of therapy to another and tailor methods and practices along the way. Although the authors encourage adapting the individual techniques, they also give sound practical advice. This second edition covers established theories and methods and provides substantial updates in neuroscience, dream studies, and new types of therapy. A suitable companion for other titles in the 'Therapy in Practice' series'
J. Bailey
Choice
'The author's wealth of experience as a therapist and knowledge and understanding of dreams make this an essential read for all aspiring counsellors, psychologists and psychotherapists as well as for more experienced practitioners seeking to enhance their practice' -
Professor Sue Wheeler, Director of Doctoral Programme, Institute of Lifelong Learning

'Counselling with Dreams and Nightmares is a comprehensive introduction for counsellors and psychological therapists interested in tapping into rich seams of meaning and emotion to enhance their clinical work. Covering individual and group work, this new edition incorporates developments in imagery, trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder and the impact of early abuse. Written from the author's extensive professional experience and illustrated with invaluable case studies, the book's strength lies in integrating perspectives from many different psychotherapeutic disciplines, from psychoanalytic to cognitive. Delia Cushway's book is accessible to psychological therapists of all theoretical orientations, as well as anyone keen to understand and work with their own dreams. I personally found the book fascinating, illuminating not only my client's material but also my own night-life. I particularly liked the book's cognitive model, drawing on historical, physiological, psychoanalytic and gestalt methods but working within a cognitive framework - dreams are manifestations of our personal meanings and concerns, offering direct access to our cognitive, emotional and embodied schema and can only be interpreted and used by ourselves. The book is a broad-sweep introduction but with references to further material and reading throughout' -
Diana Sanders, Counselling Psychologist and BABCP Accredited Cognitive Psychotherapist, Oxford
This is a useful book for therapists and counsellors who have little experiences of working with dreams therapeutically. It provides an integrative approach that includes Gestalt methods, psychodrama and cognitive theories, as well as providing many case studies. There are many helpful sections on working with clients who have experienced trauma, including sexual abuse.
Brenda Mallon