Dear Jeremy:( everyone on the discussion list)
Thank you for following up after our panel discussion on Ò the
criteria for responsible dream work training.Ó We have been moving in
the past month and settling to our new nest. I have been following
the discussion but have not had the chance to reply.
I like all the six criteria you have suggested. In fact recently we
had a Departmental meeting and I brought numerous revision for our
Dream Studies Program. I also read your criteria and we are
considering them while we are revising our program.
I would like to bring several issues for discussion:
1) when I was a Board member in 1991, I remember in one of our
meetings a discussion about ASD certification on dreams. One of our
anthropologist members was against the idea as she felt anyone should
be able to share dreams and work with dreams. The logic of the
argument had a profound effect on me to the point that when JFKU
administrators asked me to develop a certificate program on dreams, I
refused. The discussion is how interdisciplinary are these dream
training programs? And when we make a certain criteria about working
with dreams, from what discipline we make these presuppositions? I
would be interested to hear also a perspective from an anthropologist
in regard to our discussion.
2)The term ÒDream work TrainingÓ and ÒdreamworkersÓ in relation to the
six criteria bring an interesting issue. Are we talking about
therapy, counseling, consultant etc. As you know this is a very
sensitive issue in the state of California. Referring to criteria #
3, What are the criteria for the person who is supervising the
Òhands-onÓ dreamwork? Should she/he be a MFT (MFCC) or licensed
psychologist, a shaman, a minister or practiced dream working in the
field for so many years? So I think this is worth discussing. Also the
question for discussion is Therapy vs dreamworking vs dream sharing.
3) We are also dealing with two different types of training programs.
1) academic 2) non-academic. Perhaps ASD can acknowledge two different
types of dream training programs with a set of common criteria for
both institutions such as ethics and different criteria appropriate
for the institutions. I know this issue came up in our panel
discussion on Òprofessional training in dream workÓ. Already I sensed
a bit of competition when people in the panel were asked for the cost
of their training programs which I thought was inappropriate. We are
dealing with two different types of training programs.
Well, I am interested to hear from you and the group.
All the best,
Fariba
