Dream Expert: Dr. Patricia Garfield
By: Christine M. Porretta
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Image Courtesy of: Patricia Garfield, PhD
Patricia Garfield, PhD, provided her expertise and incomparable insight for decoding children’s dreams to help create the numerous meaningful symbols and interpretations found in the Child Dream Interpreter. She is a clinical psychologist and an internationally renowned dream researcher whose long list of published books include The Dream Book: A Young Person's Guide to Understanding Dreams, Dream Catcher: A Young Person's Journal for Exploring Dreams, and The Universal Dream Key: The 12 Most Common Dream Themes Around the World. In addition, she is a cofounder of the International Association for the Study of Dreams.
The Child Dream Interpreter is a tool to help parents relate to their kids. Like their imaginations, children’s dreams are so incredibly active and vivid that they can impact them in a very real way. If the images they see when they’re asleep are pleasant, they can inspire—as well as reflect—positive emotions, such as self-confidence and joy. But when the images are scary and dreams turn into nightmares, they can cause intense fear and anxiety. Whether the dreams are delightful or frightening, they can show parents a lot about what their kids are thinking and feeling.
It’s important, though, that parents not jump to conclusions about what their children’s dream means, nor should they express these assumptions to their kids. “Ask children to think about their dreams rather than telling them what they mean,” says Dr. Garfield. For example, if your child dreams of a shark chasing him, you can ask him if there’s someone in his life who’s particularly angry or who he has angry feelings toward, suggests Dr. Garfield. You can use the dream interpretations in the Child Dream Interpreter to learn where to begin the dialogue. And keep in mind that the key images or symbols that appear in dreams can take on a variety of meanings depending on what the child is experiencing at that point in time of his life.
Parents can also help children cope with their nightmares by helping them realize that they have the power to change them, explains Dr. Garfield. Here’s what she suggests you do if your child tells you he’s been having scary dreams:
- Talk about the dream the next day and ask him to try to make a picture of what he dreamt about.
- Ask him how he would make the dream better.
- Explain to him that he can dream of someone—such as his dad, mom, a superhero, or the family pet—helping him or he can call for help.
- Give him something to go to bed with—a magical instrument so to speak—that will help inspire courage to fight scary images he sees in his sleep.
- Read children’s stories that deal with the issues—such as being chased by a monster—bothering your child in his dreams.
- Read kids’ books that focus on adventure and describe kids performing extraordinary acts, such as flying. This can give your child ideas for how he can use his imagination in positive ways to change what’s happening in a nightmare.
