Abstract
In all short-term forms of psychotherapy it is found advisable to remain with the patient on the level of the conflicts of his present actuality. Nevertheless, use can be made of dreams provided that certain basic principles are adhered to. We find it useful to let a time interval intervene between dream and interpretation. This helps prevent intellectualization and “intellectualizing” forms of resistance, and enhances true insight and better transference. Since all dreams are over-determined one should, in this particular therapeutic situation, interpret on a level which is close to the conflict of actuality, and not touch on archaic levels or elements pertaining to the primary process. This includes also dreams which have, as their central theme, a situation of transference. These rules pertain also to the multiple elements of the “plot” of a dream. Only those elements should be interpreted which pertain to the actuality conflict and which are close to the patient's awareness. With all this partial handling of dream material it is observed that the “non-verbal” still enters into the dynamics of the therapy.