In The Bridge to Transformation, a psychologist reveals the insights she gained by exploring her dreams with a trusted Jungian analyst and explains how the process works.

Melinda Fouts recognized she suffered from a mother complex, a term coined by Swiss psychoanalyst Carl Jung. Melinda’s mother envied her daughter’s intelligence and drive, constantly undermining her confidence. In adulthood, Fouts couldn’t take ownership of her strengths, causing frustration in her career and relationships.

For help, Fouts turned to one of her graduate school professors, Dr. Lionel Corbett, and they worked together every week for two years to analyze her dreams from the Jungian perspective. Besides sharing her experience, Fouts explains the process of Jungian dreamwork, which includes investigating a dream’s every detail; using active imagination while awake to engage with meaningful beings from the dreams, both tormentors and allies; and continuing to investigate the insights that will “illuminate how we can bring together the split-off sides of ourselves so we can author our own lives and be the author-ity.”

Fouts succeeds on two levels: She makes readers care about her dreams and the challenges they reveal, while also explaining in layperson’s terms the Jungian process. She paints a vivid picture of her dreamlife, which featured, among other things, an energetic snake, the Lion Man, a vibrating disk, and elk who transform into men. When, during an active imagination with her mother, she states, “You don’t deserve my friendship. I am more than good enough,” readers will cheer.

Those new to dreamwork will learn only a hint about the trick of capturing a dream, which can disappear, poof!, upon waking (she suggests writing it down); she had unique access to Corbett, a trusted authority in the field, which a layperson would not.

Still, this explains a fascinating method for safely exploring the mysterious and empowering terrain of the human psyche.

Also available in hardcover and ebook.