Step by Step: Realization of Idiomatic Expressions in Dreams–A Relational View

This article presents an approach to working with dreams in the psychotherapeutic endeavor, portraying the affinity between early ideas formulated in psychoanalytic thinking and more contemporary relational streams. Following previous works, which suggest understanding some of the apparently enigmatic symptoms appearing in the behavior of various patients as a realization of idiomatic expressions, this article focuses on the way this approach may be used to better understand dreams and their appearance in the psychotherapeutic dialogue. Vignettes from a therapy of a woman who struggled with a physical disability during her infancy help illustrate this matter.