Working with dreams invites us therapists and counsellors, to listen beyond words and engage with imagery, metaphor, and felt experience. This blog brings together a list of ten insightful books – spanning person-centred, Jungian, analytic, and experiential perspectives, that provide both theoretical grounding and practical approaches.

From classic works to contemporary guides, each text offers tools and inspiration for integrating dreamwork into therapeutic practice.

Learn more about this topic in our online CPD workshop: *Dreams: In Conversation with our Unconscious* with Victoria Settle on Friday 10th October 10am – 4pm.

In this brand-new workshop for Brighton Therapy Partnership our trainer Tori Settle will help us explore the fascinating world of dreams.

1. Dreams and the Person-Centered Approach: Cherishing Client Experiencing – Andrea Koch (2013)

Andrea Koch is a psychotherapist who integrates person-centred theory with dreamwork. This book explores how dreams can be understood through the lens of Carl Rogers’ approach, emphasising empathy, authenticity, and the client’s subjective experiencing.

Rather than interpreting dreams for clients, Koch shows how to accompany them in making meaning for themselves. It’s a useful resource for therapists who want to honour client-led exploration of dreams.

2. Inner Work: Using Dreams and Active Imagination for Personal Growth – Robert A. Johnson (1986)

Robert Johnson was a Jungian analyst and author known for making Jungian psychology accessible to a wide readership. This book provides a step-by-step guide to engaging with dreams and active imagination in personal development. Johnson’s clear, approachable style makes complex ideas easy to grasp and apply. Therapists may find it valuable both for their own inner work and for recommending to clients.

3. Therapy with Dreams and Nightmares: Theory, Research & Practice – Delia Cushway & Robyn Sewell (2013)

Delia Cushway was a clinical psychologist and academic, and Robyn Sewell is a psychotherapist and researcher. Together, they present one of the few books to blend research evidence with clinical application in dreamwork. The text explores the functions of dreams, their relevance to therapy, and strategies for working with nightmares. It’s well-suited for practitioners who want both theoretical depth and evidence-based methods.

4. Working with Dreams: Initiation into the Soul’s Speaking About Itself – Wolfgang Giegerich (2012)

Wolfgang Giegerich is a Jungian analyst and author known for his philosophical approach to psychology.

In this book, he views dreams not just as personal material but as the psyche’s way of speaking about itself. His writing is dense and challenging, but it invites therapists to think deeply about the symbolic and imaginal dimensions of dreams. This text is particularly appealing to those drawn to archetypal psychology and depth work.

5. Let Your Body Interpret Your Dreams – Eugene T. Gendlin (1986)

Eugene Gendlin was a philosopher and psychotherapist, best known for developing Focusing, a body-oriented therapeutic method. In this book, he applies Focusing principles to dreamwork, showing how bodily felt senses can help clients understand dream imagery.

The approach shifts dreamwork away from external interpretation towards an embodied, experiential process. It’s a practical and creative resource for therapists who use somatic or experiential approaches.

6. Dreams: A Portal to the Source – Edward C. Whitmont & Sylvia Brinton Perera (1989)

This book views dreams as gateways to deeper sources of wisdom and transformation. Edward Whitmont was a Jungian analyst and homeopath, and Sylvia Brinton Perera is a Jungian analyst and author specialising in myth and feminine psychology.

The authors weave together clinical material, mythological perspectives, and symbolic interpretations. It is especially useful for therapists working with archetypes and spiritual aspects of dreamwork.

7. Jungian Dream Interpretation: A Handbook of Theory and Practice – James A. Hall (1983)

This book is often recommended as a starting point for therapists new to Jungian dreamwork. It covers core Jungian concepts -such as the collective unconscious, archetypes, and individuation – while showing how they apply in therapy. James A. Hall was a Jungian analyst and psychiatrist.

His handbook is a clear, systematic introduction to Jungian dream analysis, written with clinicians in mind.

8. Dream Analysis: Notes of the Seminar Given in 1928–1930, Volume 1 – C.G. Jung (1984)

Carl Gustav Jung, the founder of analytical psychology, gave these seminars in the late 1920s, where he worked through dream material with students and colleagues. This volume captures his teaching style and illustrates his methods of dream analysis in practice.

The text offers an authentic glimpse into Jung’s thinking process and how he approached dream interpretation. While more advanced, it provides therapists with invaluable insight into Jung’s evolving ideas.

9. The Book of Symbols: Reflections on Archetypal Images – Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS), Taschen (2010)

Produced by the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism (ARAS), this book is a beautifully illustrated compendium of symbols from cultures around the world. Each entry explores the psychological and cultural meanings of symbols, with reflections from a depth psychology perspective. While not exclusively about dreamwork, it’s an essential resource for therapists working with symbolic imagery. Its visual and cross-cultural approach makes it especially helpful for expanding one’s interpretive imagination.

10. Understanding Dreams in Clinical Practice – Marcus West (2011)

Marcus West is a Jungian analyst and psychotherapist with the Society of Analytical Psychology (SAP). His book is a comprehensive introduction to dreamwork in psychotherapy, grounded in Jungian theory but written in a highly accessible style. West discusses how dreams can help identify unconscious dynamics, trauma, and developmental challenges. It’s especially valuable for clinicians looking to apply Jungian ideas in a clear, practical way.

Upcoming Workshop with Victoria Settle

Want to explore more? Join us for the upcoming training *Dreams: In Conversation with our Unconscious* with Victoria Settle on Friday 10th October 10am – 4pm.

In this brand-new workshop for Brighton Therapy Partnership our trainer Tori Settle will help us explore the fascinating world of dreams.

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