Masaki Kondo

Grief Dreams in Traumatic Grief Counseling and Attachment Informed Grief Therapy

Sains Humanika October 29, 2025 Masaki Kondo

Grief dreams—dreams in which the deceased appears—can serve a therapeutic function for people processing loss, especially after traumatic bereavement such as that following natural disasters. Analyzing dream reports from three cases through Grief Counseling and Attachment Informed Grief Therapy reveals five perspectives that help mourners sincerely mourn and hold the deceased in mind without stirring anxiety or despair about their own death: dreams as a venue for symbolic reunion, dreams as a reflection of acceptance, dreams as a means of re-experiencing trauma, the resolution of grief dreams as a marker of progress, and sadness as a bond with the deceased.