Combined Individual /Group Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: The Role of Dreams

The workshop presents a methodological approach of psychodynamic psychotherapy that is a combined individual/group one. The main tool that allows the different steps (individual first, later combined individual/group and... [ view full abstract ]

The workshop presents a methodological approach of psychodynamic psychotherapy that is a combined individual/group one. The main tool that allows the different steps (individual first, later combined individual/group and finally only group psychotherapy) is the dream and its interpretation in terms of emerging of both psychopathological dynamics and physiological (the Human Potential, Battuello and Errico, 2015). Even the psychotic patient can be treated in this kind of psychodynamic work and it depends not on the severity of symptoms but mostly on the capacity of finding the inner valid parts that he/she could save from the past. Therefore the selection for the therapeutic work is related mostly to the relevance given to the positive psychodynamic aspects of the Human Being instead of only the pathological ones. The workshop wants to focus on the role of dreams and their interpretation because nowadays there is so much confusion concerning the meaning given to "the unconscious" and dreams inside the therapeutic process. Therefore the aim is to discuss on the different steps of the psychodynamic approach presented and to strengthen the forgotten role of dreams as the chore of psychodynamic therapy even in psychotic and severe patients. The author will share clinical examples and relevant dreams of his work: colleagues attending are invited to bring their experiences, thoughts and approaches to dreams in psychotherapy.