Vom erzählten Traum zum NachTRaum. Eine Grounded-Theory-Studie zum gemeinsamen Nachsinnen in psychodynamischen Therapiegruppen / From narrated dream to NachTRaum: A grounded theory study on shared reflection in psychodynamic therapy groups
Janine Sigulla
Zeitschrift für Individualpsychologie October 1, 2026 DOI: 10.13109/zind.2026.51.4.344 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Qualitative study (reflexive grounded theory) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 16 |
| Population | Dream reports from participants in two video-recorded psychodynamic therapy groups |
| Key findings | Argues that a shared reflective space around a dream, the "NachTRaum", emerges through three recurring movements: "Umkreisen" (circling the dream at a distance), "Einträumen" (immersing in its imagery and affect), and "Verknüpfen" (connecting it to personal history and the group). Where these intertwine, the author proposes that "relational responsiveness" arises, turning the dream into a bridge between people. |
Abstract
Summary From narrated dream to NachTRaum: A grounded theory study on shared reflection in psychodynamic therapy groups A dream is told. What will become of it is not yet decided. Left untouched, it fades. But it can also open a space - the NachTRaum. Sixteen dream reports from two video-recorded psychodynamic therapy groups were examined through reflexive grounded theory to ask how such a space emerges. The analysis reveals three recurring movements of approach: Umkreisen (a circling that holds the dream at a distance, preserving its strangeness); Einträumen (a dreaming-into, immersing in its imagery and affect as if dreaming along); Verknüpfen (a connecting, drawing threads to one’s own history, to the group, to what is alive between people in the room). Where these movements intertwine, something emerges that this paper calls relational responsiveness: moments in which people show themselves and turn toward one another. The dream becomes a bridge. And the group a place where a private image can be carried, translated, and turned into language. A dream does not end with waking. In the NachTRaum, it can live on.