Abstract

Ullman's model of group dream work (1979, 1988, 1990), developed outside the clinical setting, is identified as a safe and effective means of cultivating self-understanding. This approach organizes the participation of all members in promoting one dreamer's discovery of the dream's metaphoric representation. The integration of a drawing response to the target dream represents an art therapy contribution to this approach to dream work. The individual drawings extend the possibility for each member to recognize projective and introjective resonances with the dream, thereby enhancing self-awareness. The model's fundamental endorsement of the dreamer's control over the process, and his or her authority over the dream's meaning, suggests that this approach, although not intended for clinical use, may be potentially beneficial for patients diagnosed with an eating disorder, given an underdeveloped sense of agency specific to this population. The collected data offers evidence of this hypothesis. Discussion of selected clinical illustrations provides support for positioning this integrated model at the end stage of treatment, rather than the beginning, as was the case in this study. It is suggested that there may be advantages in modifying the placement of the drawing response, as well as its application within the dream work. Consideration is given to the adaptation of this integrated model of dream work and drawing for use by more severely symptomatic patients.