This conference is for nurses, counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, or any other professional groups interested in working with dreams to assist us in more deeply understanding ourselves, our patients and the social world.

“My dreams are crazy!”

A common sentiment for mental health workers when they start recording their dreams.

Perhaps this is because we work in cultures where the craziness tends to be located in our patients. We are seen as the sane ones. For the psychodynamic thinker, this is not the case and dreams are seen as relational. Symptoms expressed by patients can actually make sense. We can discover this sense by exploring dreams. Understanding our own nightmares can assist us in listening to the often-wakeful nightmare worlds inhabited by our patients both symbolically and literally. The dream is a window into psychiatric symptoms that are invariably expressions of hidden messages that need to be both spoken and heard.

Continuing themes of two previous dream conferences, participants will be assisted in meeting at the level of the dream and to recognise the creative potential revealed by dream exploration.

The conference will be led by a team of highly respected psychotherapists and group analysts. We will hold a panel discussion, a social dreaming matrix, small groups and a final large group. We hope delegates will use these spaces in a process of experiential learning.

Lunch will be provided.

Please also note that the conference will be followed by a series of training workshops, throughout 2019. More information will be provided on the day.

Marcus Price

Conference organiser and convenor: Psychoanalytic Psychotherapist in private practice and NHS. Poetry editor of 'Contexts' newsletter of the Group Analytic Society International.

Marcus will convene the panel discussion with:

Kevin Power: Historical and religious understandings of dreams

Mariajose Blanco: Dreamwork in Individual Psychotherapy.

Josephine Canty: Art Therapy and the selected dream (picture).

Julia Borossa: Cultural understandings of dreams.

The dream team to assist us in our experiential learning includes:

Bob Harris

Fully Qualified Member of the Institute of Group Analysis (IGA),1986.; Certificate in Education, University of Exeter; Approved Clinical Supervisor, Institute of Group Analysis UK; Formerly Principal NHS Psychotherapist and Director of Programmes at the Institute of Group Analysis. Currently Director of Training, Group Analysis Albania.

Bob is also an author whose publications include the excellent book, Working with Distressed Young People SAGE/Learning Matters 2011.

Julia Borossa

Julia has an interdisciplinary academic background in Literature and History of Science. Her research interests include the history, politics and cultures of the psychoanalytic movement; transcultural understandings of the psyche; social and state violence; trauma and resilience; groups and communities. Her research collaborations have led her to work on projects in Russia, Egypt, Lebanon and Brazil.

She also practices as a psychotherapist and a group analyst. She is committed to understanding how ways of using and interpreting dreams may differ or converge across cultures and co-convened dream workshops in Cairo.

Mike Tait

Mike has worked for many years in therapeutic communities. A group analyst and drama therapist, Mike is well known for using cricket, mountaineering and other activities in helping troubled young people. Mike has pioneered dream groups in various settings.

Teresa Von Sommaruga Howard

Teresa has conducted groups in many different countries. Her career's in architecture and group analysis are combined in her book, Design Through Dialogue: A Guide for Architects and Clients (Architecture in Practice) by Franck, Karen A., von Sommaruga Howard, Teresa (2009). Having trained with the late Patrick de Maré, Teresa has an international reputation for conducting median and large groups as well as social dreaming matrices. Information on her pioneering new course, commencing in 2019, "Creating Large Group Dialogue in Organisation and Society", will be available at the conference.

Otto M Rheinschmiedt

Otto M. Rheinschmiedt is a training group analyst. His twin passions are dream research and critically reading world literature. He has analysed dreams for over thirty years, taught dream analysis at Bath University, presented his ideas on dreams on BBC Radio programmes, and given talks on dreams and literature in the UK and abroad. His book, The Fictions of Dreams. Dreams, Literature, and Writing was published by Karnac in May 2017.

Josephine Canty

Josephine has worked as a Group Analyst, Art Psychotherapist and Psychotherapist in the NHS and in the public sector since 1988.Mem IGA UKCP CPJA. She has a warm approach and is highly skilled at providing reflective dream space.

Kevin Power

Kevin is an experienced group-analyst in clinical and non-clinical settings. Formally, course coordinator for the Goldsmiths College training in group psychotherapy, he also worked at WPF. Hon. Member IGA. Registered with UKCP/CPJA. Currently in NHS and private practice. Published several papers.

Michelle Bearman

Integrative Psychotherapist with many years experience, with dream groups. Michelle co-conducted social dreaming matrices at the two previous dream conferences.

David Glyn

David is a group analyst and President of The Group-Analytic Society International. His psychotherapy work has included private individual and group work, supervision of NHS teams and individuals working in the NHS as well as teaching on group analytic training's.

Mariajosé Blanco

Maria-José Blanco has an academic background in Spanish literature and language. She is a Group Work Practitioner (IGA) and is in the final stages of her Group Analytic training. Her academic interest lies in Life-Writing and autobiography. She has co-edited The Power of Death: Reflections on Death in Western Society (Berghahn: 2014) and Feminine Singular: Women Growing Up Through Life-Writing in the Luso-Hispanic World (Peter Lang 2017). She has published two special issues of the Journal of Romance Studies on Autobiographical writing and Women’s Ageing in Literature. She is the organiser of the multinational conference, ‘Women in Transition – Crossing Borders, Crossing Boundaries’ 20, 21 and 22 September 2018, King’s College London and St Peter’s College, University of Oxford. She conducted a small dream group at the Learning Through Dreams conference, January 2018.