Dreamtelling: Making meaning from dreams using narrative practices — Carla Galaz Souza

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This article explores the consideration of dreams in narrative practice, applying a broad feminist and anti-colonial politics and philosophy. In Latin America, psychology and its practices of dream interpretation have a strong influence on folk cultures. These have located dreams as an unconscious dimension of the internal which require expert interpretation. In taking steps to counteract hegemonic thinking, informed by feminisms and considering narrative practice efforts to reinforce people’s sense of personal agency, the author explains how dreams were invited into conversations with Nina, a woman from northern Chile, to support reflexive engagements with life and re-generation of meaning. The article applies narrative ideas to engagement with therapeutic meaning-making about dreams to support the development of alternative stories in culturally appropriate ways.