Dream Tending Retreat 2025

A Three Day Retreat with Dr. Stephen Aizenstat

Hosted in-person at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California

June 30th – July 2nd, 2025

The 2025 Dream Tending Retreat is a limited-enrollment intensive experiential event that takes place over three days at Pacifica Graduate Institute in Carpinteria, California. The retreat explores dream theory and methodology through experiential avenues.

Dr. Aizenstat showcases 15 unique examples of the Dream Tending practice through the dream tending work he does with each participant. Dr. Aizenstat creates the learning environment for the Dream Tending practice based on the content from the dreams. He uses all of the skill sets, and more, as noted in his book Dream Tending. Dr. Aizenstat calls on the group to participate, typically, for each dream which is tended. The group participants are encouraged to share their commentary in regard to the dream through association, amplification, animation and more. Clinical perspectives are included when appropriate. After Dr. Aizenstat and the group tend the dream, he creates and gives an assignment to each participant which is unique to their dream. At times the participant will be guided to work independently, or with a dyad partner, or even at times in a group setting, depending on the dream which was tended. The participant is typically required to “do the work” in the landscape of Pacifica Graduate Institute, utilizing the psyche of nature in their work. The participant then reports back in the circle on what has occurred from their “dream practice” session. A group ritual is created by the group and presented at the conclusion of the retreat which is unique to each session.

Email Us To Register

Topics to be covered include:

  • Use of association in Dream Tending
  • Use of amplification in Dream Tending
  • Use of animation in Dream Tending
  • Appropriate use of Dream Tending in psychotherapy
  • Use of the psyche of nature in dream work

If you would like to join us for our fall retreat, please reach out to our program coordinator at program@dreamtending.com or at (805) 680- 3774

Earn 10 Continuing Education Credits

10 continuing education credits are available for MFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs through the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (provider #67021), for RNs through the California Board of Registered Nurses (provider #CEP 7177), and for psychologists through the California Psychological Association (PAC014). Pacifica Graduate Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Full attendance at the program is required to receive a certificate. A $40 fee will be charged for each certificate requested.

General Information

Schedule a Time to Talk

To learn more about the Dream Tending Certificate program, please email Program@DreamTending.com to discuss questions, program price, and payment plan options. One of our Program Coordinators will get back to you shortly.

Payment Plans Available

Please contact programs@DreamTending.com regarding payment plans.

*Continuing Education Credits
10 continuing education credits are available for MFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs through the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (provider #67021), for RNs through the California Board of Registered Nurses (provider #CEP 7177), and for psychologists through the California Psychological Association (PAC014). Pacifica Graduate Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Full attendance at the program is required to receive a certificate. A $40 fee will be charged for each certificate requested.

Continuing Education Credit Details

This program meets the qualifications for 10 hours of continuing education credit for Psychologists through the California Psychological Association (PAC014) Pacifica Graduate Institute is approved by the California Psychological Association to provide continuing education for psychologists.  Pacifica Graduate Institute maintains responsibility for this program and its content.  Full attendance is required to receive a certificate.

This course meets the qualifications for 10 hours of continuing education credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.  Pacifica Graduate Institute is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (#60721) to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs.  Pacifica Graduate Institute maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.  Full attendance is required to obtain a certificate.

For Registered Nurses through the California Board of Registered Nurses, this conference meets qualifications of 10 hours of continuing education credit are available for RNs through the California Board of Registered Nurses (provider #CEP 7177).  Full attendance is required to obtain a certificate.

Pacifica Graduate Institute is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs.  Pacifica Graduate Institute maintains responsibility for each program and its content.  Full day attendance is required to receive a certificate.

Continuing Education Goal.  Pacifica Graduate Institute is committed to offering continuing education courses to train LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and LEPs to treat any client in an ethically and clinically sound manner based upon current accepted standards of practice.  Course completion certificates will be awarded at the conclusion of the training and upon participant’s submission of his or her completed evaluation.

CECs and Online Program Attendance: Participants requesting Continuing Education Credits (CECs) for Online programs must attend all live sessions (offered via Zoom) in order to receive CECs. Please make sure that your Zoom account name matches the name of the attendee requesting CECs.

Learning Objectives

  1. Explain the method of association in relation to dream work theory.
  2. Distinguish how to amplify dream images to understand archetypal themes working through both personal and collective consciousness.
  3. Explain the method of animation in working and animating living dream images.
  4. Assess live demonstrations of dreamwork; learn and practice the method of animation applied to dream images in homework assignments.
  5. Compare and contrast the difference between association, amplification, and animation techniques in working with dreams.
  6. Carry out the clinical approach of using embodied active imagination with dream images.
  7. Identify and apply the 6-step Dream Tending system of working with nightmares.
  8. Identify how the landscape in dreams informs the psychic setting being projected.
  9. Distinguish between life circumstances, personal, collective and world unconscious.
  10. Identify three skills needed in dream council practice step-by-step, in deepening the relationship with dream figures.
  11. Integrate how to give feedback in a group setting when referring to other’s dreams and personal material in a psychologically sensitive way that takes into account transference and countertransference.
  12. Identify two ways you can bring Dream Tending clinical skills into your personal and professional life when working with dream.
Cancellation Policy:
Deposits and full tuition payments for Dream Tending Programs are refundable up to 60 days before the program start date, minus a $100 administrative fee. After this period, any payments made can be applied as credit toward future Dream Tending programs.

Dream Tending reserves the right to cancel any program or expel participants at any time. If a program is unexpectedly canceled, a full refund will be issued, minus a $100 administrative fee. In the event of expulsion, refunds will be considered on a case-by-case basis, also subject to the $100 administrative fee.

Refund Policy:
Refunds will be issued up to 60 days prior to the start of the program, minus a $100 administrative fee. After this period, any payments made can be applied as credit toward future Dream Tending programs. No transfers or refunds will be given after the program start date.

Confidentiality
The Dream Tending and Deep Imagination Certificate program is a professional training program offered under the auspices of the Continuing Education Program of Pacifica Graduate Institute. Participants are encouraged to present material from their personal dreams for discussion during seminar sessions with the understanding that the ensuing dreamwork is part of an educational opportunity. The Program is not psychotherapy and will not provide the “container” of the therapeutic consulting room. Thus, there is no legally protected confidentiality for a “psychotherapist-client” communication. Although the presenter is a Clinical Psychologist and licensed psychotherapist, he will be working as seminar leader and instructor in this training program. While there will be a continuing relationship among the participants over the nine months of the seminar series, the focus of this experience is educational rather than therapeutic. Participants will want to keep this in mind in deciding what to share during seminar sessions.

As a part of this training, seminar participants will work with their own and each others’ dreams in meetings of the entire group as well as during triad and small group sessions. Triad and small group sessions have their own confidentiality, and participants must reach a mutual agreement before sharing material from these smaller meetings in the general sessions of the entire group. What participants share and learn from each other must remain within their agreed upon limits of confidentiality and does not fall under the responsibility or liability of Dream Tending.

Seminar participants who wish to include case material from their clinical practices in this training program may do so. If you choose to do this, you must present the material in a manner which obscures the client’s identity and otherwise preserves the client’s confidentiality rights.

Disability Support
It is the goal of Dream Tending to make programs and experiences accessible to all members of the community. It is the participant’s responsibility to contact Program@DreamTending.com directly if accommodations are desired. Each person, disability, and situation is unique, so needs will be considered individually.

All reading materials in the Dream Tending Certificate program are formatted to be compatible with read-aloud programs.

Anti-Discrimination Policy
Dream Tending will not discriminate against any individual or group with respect to any service, program or activity based on gender, race, creed, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, age or other prohibited basis. Dream Tending does not require attendees to adhere to any particular religion or creed in order to participate in its programs.

Grievances
We want to ensure your experience in the Dream Tending Certificate programs is educational and enjoyable. The Dream Tending Program Coordinators will respond to complaints in a reasonable, ethical and timely manner when submitted by program attendees in writing to Program@DreamTending.com or call (805) 680-3774.

FAQs

Who can I contact with any questions?

Please get in touch with a Dream Tending Program Coordinator at Program@DreamTending.com or call (805) 680-3774.