Citation (APA style): Hoss, R. J., & Hoss, L. M. (2010). The Dream to Freedom Technique, a methodology for integrating the complementary therapies of Energy Psychology and dreamwork. Energy Psychology: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 2(1), 45-64.
Abstract
The psychological healing process often starts with surface-level problems, and emotional layers are peeled away until the core issue surfaces. When integrating energy psychology (EP) with dreamwork, however, it is possible to begin at a deeper level. Dreams focus on the more salient unprocessed emotional issues of the day; thus, dreamwork can quickly bring to consciousness an issue that a person is dealing with on a subconscious level. On the other hand, dreamwork alone–in the absence of other therapies–is not necessarily effective in reducing the emotional stress that may surface or in moving through the emotional impasses. EP, in turn, complements dreamwork by providing a method for reducing emotional stress and reducing the emotional barriers to healing once an issue is identified. Combining the 2 disciplines integrates the primary benefits of both into 1 technique, which is useful for self-help or in a therapeutic setting. The Dream to Freedom technique combines a deep and rapid Gestalt-based approach for surfacing the emotional issues that the subconscious is working on with the rapid and highly effective Emotional Freedom Techniques for quickly reducing emotional stress surrounding those core issues. The protocol also provides a technique for closure that uses the dream’s natural tendency for projection to provide insight.
Keywords: energy psychology, Emotional Freedom Techniques, EFT, stress response, dreams, dreamwork, Gestalt, dream analysis, Dream to Freedom, DTF
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Click here for cases about how people have used EFT to work with dreams, whether they are dreams that offer subconscious guidance or disturbing dreams like nightmares.
