By: Carrie Stepp Graves

Dreams is one of those words, like love, that in English, at least, has big broad meanings. We use the term to cover a wide range of desires, imaginings, longings and wishes for change. And we certainly also use it to represent the nighttime messages that come to us from deep within. They are two sides of the same coin, so here I will call them conscious dreams and unconscious dreams.

I use the term conscious dreams to represent things that we want in our waking lives, fantasies and desires for our lives to be the way we want them to be. Millions of Americans now “dream” of being the next American Idol or the equivalent in another field. Some may even coming to coaching for encouragement in accomplishing the dream of being a successful, even famous, artist or athlete.

The term unconscious dreams I use to denote the messages from deep within that are not yet conscious. These dreams are often reflected in our conscious dreams without our understanding of what is motivating us. Working with a client’s nighttime dreams can shed light on the guidance being offered from the soul and unlock the root of some of the desires that are crafted by the conscious mind. Clients can learn to recognize the archetypal energies behind their conscious dreams by working with these messages from the unconscious.

A big part of coaching involves determining one’s life purpose. In my work, it is the center point from which action begins. Unconscious dreams offer guidance to clients about who they were created to be, what their purpose is. Working with nighttime dreams is a practice of listening (to the divine, the soul) for the client. Coaching integrates this listening with conscious dreams and brings the client forward to effective action. Taking the time to listen can offer helpful shifts and adaptations to certain goals along the coaching journey.

What is the client’s dream of being the next American Idol saying to her? What does he think fame and recognition will offer him? Given the fact that there cannot be 40 million American Idols, Hollywood celebrities or NFL superstars, what happens to her when she doesn’t become that idol? Maybe the client simply needs to be valued, to be recognized as a person of intelligence, artistic ability, and talent by those in his life. His dreams would offer clues to this and to how that passion and ability are the unique expression of who this client is in the world.

By coming to coaching and working with one’s wants, needs, and values, clients can refine, focus and discern who it is that they are. They discover the feelings and energies behind their desires. But to deepen by discovering the unconscious motivations and energies that are reflected in conscious dreams allows the client to act from a place of greater wholeness and alignment with her true purpose, leading to better success in coaching. Dreams bring healing and wholeness. From a place of strength, coaching brings creativity and action to design the life the client wants.

So, how can you learn more about working with dreams in coaching? One way is by studying Carl Jung’s work in analytical psychology, archetypes and dreams to understand the processes of working with the unconscious to bring healing and wholeness. If you are interested in learning more about the subject, ILCT is offering a class at the end of May, taught by Peter Metzner, on the use of dreams in coaching.

Carrie Graves is a student at ILCT. She has been studying dream work for ten years and is currently enrolled in the Haden Institute’s Dream Leader Training Program. She has been a professional bookseller for 18 years, works for a psychotherapy and spiritual direction practice, and is a freelance writer.