Lisa Marchiano

Lisa Marchiano is a dream interpreter, certified Jungian analyst, licensed clinical social worker, and author based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She trained at the Inter-regional Society of Jungian Analysts and is on the faculty of C. G. Jung Institute of Philadelphia. Lisa is the co-host and co-creator of the popular depth psychology podcast This Jungian Life. She is also the author of "Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams", "Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself", and "The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire". She has developed an approach to psychotherapy that is practical, creative and interactive to help people going through difficult times or life transitions.

Education

  • BA, Brown University
  • MSW, New York University
  • Master's in International Affairs, Columbia University
  • PsyaD, Boston Graduate School for Psychoanalysis (candidate)

Professional Achievements

  • Author of several books, including "Dream Wise: Unlocking the Meaning of Your Dreams", "The Vital Spark: Reclaim Your Outlaw Energies and Find Your Feminine Fire", and "Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself"
  • Co-creator and co-host of the popular depth psychology podcast, This Jungian Life
  • Co-creator of This Jungian Life Dream School, a twelve-month online program that teaches you how to work with your dreams

Certifications & Organizations

  • Licensed Clinical Social Worker
  • Certified Jungian Analyst

Favorite Piece of Advice

You have an inner companion eager to help and guide you. This companion speaks to you at night through dreams.

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Forum Comments (4)

What does it mean if I keep dreaming about someone?
Dreams are always going to tell us something we don't know or maybe something we know but we don't want to know, but they won't just repeat something that we are already comfortable with.

If you dream about somebody that you don't see every day, that you haven't seen in six months or two years or two decades, that person in that dream almost certainly represents some aspect of you that you've projected onto this person. So, this person is symbolically portraying an aspect of your personality.

Ask yourself, who is that person? What is that person like? What are the things you like about the person? What are the things you don't like about that person? How are you like that person? How are you different from that person?

Remember, they will represent a mostly unconscious part of you, so dig deep and try to uncover what your subconscious is attaching to them.
I had a dream where my teeth fell out. What does it mean?
I think teeth represent our aggression or aggressive impulses. Teeth are the way we kind of take a bite out of the world. So, this dream often says something about our sense of agency and assertiveness, and indicates that that's been compromised somehow.
What does it mean when a snake appears in my dream?
Snakes are enormous, powerful archetypal symbols, and they can symbolize so many different things. For one, snakes are believed to be associated with death and rebirth because they shed their skin. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh finds the secret to life eternal, but then it's stolen by a snake. Snakes are also associated with healing. They're wrapped around the Caduceus that we associate with hospitals and medical symbology. That's partly because Asclepius used snakes in healing ceremonies. Snakes are also associated with consciousness, as it was the snake that convinced Eve to eat from the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge. Any of these associations could be at work in a dream.

However, I often find that in dreams, snakes are associated with the deep unconscious, the embodied unconscious, the part that just controls your heart rate and your breathing. So, the snake is the reptilian brain part of the psyche, and the snake is an image of a death-like regression. If you want to retreat from life and crawl under the covers and stay there, it's a bit like having been bitten by a snake. The snake represents fear that keeps you out of life.
Why am I dreaming of my ex so much?
We project parts of ourselves on other people in our dreams. It's likely that you've projected something powerful on this man, and your dreams about him are actually about something you associate with him or that he carries for you, not about him as a person.

Co-authored Articles (1)