Understanding and working with dreams

Dreams can leave you curious, unsettled or wondering why the same themes keep returning. Exploring them in counselling can offer a starting point for conversations about your feelings, relationships and everyday concerns.

Dream work involves reflecting on a dream’s images, emotions and personal meaning. The focus is on understanding your experience and considering practical steps that fit your life.

James discusses working with dreams

My background

I’ve studied and worked with dreams since 2003. My approach draws on my counselling experience and study of Hebraic and biblical traditions. I call this faith-informed framework Theoneiromancy.

What can dream work offer?

Dream work may help you put feelings into words, notice recurring themes and explore concerns that are difficult to discuss directly. It can also create space to consider your relationships, choices and hopes for change.

We explore possible meanings together. Your experiences and understanding are central to the conversation.

What happens in a session?

You can begin with a dream you remember, a recurring image or simply the feeling that stayed with you. Together, we explore what stands out and how it may connect with your life.

From there, the conversation can turn to practical steps, such as expressing a need, setting a boundary or working through a difficult emotion. We may discuss other approaches, including EMDR where appropriate, as part of a broader therapy plan. You can ask questions, take your time and decide what you feel comfortable exploring.

A whole-person, faith-sensitive approach

My approach makes room for emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of life. As an ordained pastor, I also bring a biblical perspective to understanding dreams.

If faith is important to you and you would like to include it, we can explore a dream’s spiritual meaning, including what you understand as possible guidance from God. Your beliefs and choices guide this part of the work. Spiritual exploration is optional, and you do not need to share my beliefs to explore your dreams in counselling.

Nightmares, night terrors and sleep

Nightmares are distressing dreams that you may remember after waking. Night terrors involve episodes of fear or agitation during sleep, often with little memory of what happened. These experiences can need different kinds of support.

Stress and emotional concerns can affect sleep, and counselling may form part of a care plan. Ongoing sleep difficulties can also have physical or other causes. If you experience nightmares or night terrors, this is something we can discuss as we explore potential causes. I have seen EMDR help people resolve night terrors and nightmares alongside thoughtful conversation.

What does research tell us?

Researchers continue to study how dreams relate to emotion, memory and everyday experience. Questions about why we dream remain open. This leaves room for thoughtful exploration, with care around claims about what a dream means or what dream work can achieve.