Dreamwork

by Ingrid Schirrholz, MA, TEP

The other night I had a dream about a water pipe in our house bursting and threatening to flood a closet where I store things I don’t use anymore and then forget that I have them.

Feeling somewhat alarmed by the dream I set out to explore it in the way I usually help people explore their dreams in my dream workshops. I started to step into the roles of my dream characters and give voice to them, carefully listening for the messages they have for me.

My little used storage closet told me that I harbor old feelings in myself about past hurts and resentments that I forget about in the daily hustle and bustle. Nevertheless they are there and need to be cleaned out. The water told me that it wanted to flow freely and flush out the feelings of old hurt and resentment, releasing them and make room for new and more uplifting feelings.

It didn’t take me long to find that “forgotten” hurt and pay attention to it, bringing the healing waters of my tears to it.

Whenever I pay attention to my dreams and the characters in them I find that they have their own wisdom and I do well when I listen to them. Dreaming and enacting my dreams helps me to access the right side of my brain where I find unexpected resources that escape the logic of my left brain.

Psychodrama brings my dreams to life and lets me have an intimate relationship with my dream characters and ultimately with myself.

And, by the way, I am starting to clean out that little used closet, too!

Ingrid Schirrholz, MA, TEP is a faculty member of HVPI with over 30 years of experience, she has specialized in psychodrama, exploring diverse areas such as intergenerational trauma and incorporating expressive therapies. In addition to her extensive work, Ingrid has found spiritual fulfillment in the PATHWORK, where she has trained spiritual counselors using psychodrama and expressive therapies across various locations in the US.