We invite you to understand the dreams of future generations.
You are invited to Turkey’s First Children’s Dreams Symposium!
Dreams are one of the deepest reflections of children’s inner worlds. Organized for the first time in Turkey and with all proceeds donated to institutions supporting children in housing, health, and education, the Children’s Dreams Symposium aims to provide a comprehensive perspective by addressing the typical characteristics of children’s dreams, psychodynamic and cognitive theories’ approaches to these dreams, the relationship between childhood dreams and psychopathology, nightmares, recurring dreams, and sleep processes.
This symposium, featuring talks by mental health professionals who have completed the Dream Therapy Training prepared by the Dream Institute, holds the distinction of being the first academic event in Turkey to examine children’s dreams from a scientific perspective.
Symposium Topics and Speakers:
✅ 11:00 – Children’s Dreams in the Context of Psychodynamic Theories – Şule Nur Elmas Turan
Psychodynamic theories emphasize the relationship between dreams and unconscious processes. This talk will explore children’s dreams from a psychodynamic perspective, examining how they are shaped by defense mechanisms, early childhood traumas, and internal conflicts. The impact of dream content on children’s psychological development will be assessed from a therapeutic viewpoint.
✅ 11:30 – Sleep Physiology and Sleep Disorders in Children – Elif Kadı
Children’s sleep patterns are directly related to their developmental processes and psychological states. This presentation will discuss sleep stages, dream processes, and common sleep disorders in childhood. The connection between sleep physiology and developmental issues will be explored, emphasizing the importance of sleep hygiene in children.
✅ 12:00 – Examining Children’s Dreams by Age and Gender – Leyla Bayrav
Children’s dreams vary based on age, gender, and environmental factors. This talk will analyze the dream content, characters, social interactions, and emotional themes observed in boys’ and girls’ dreams. Research findings on gender differences in children’s dreams and age-related variations will be examined in detail.
✅ 12:30 – Typical Childhood Dreams and Recurring Dreams – Ezgi Mikyas
This talk will cover the typical characteristics of childhood dreams, their relationship with developmental processes, and common themes in dreams. Additionally, recurring dreams frequently experienced by children will be analyzed, discussing their psychological dynamics and connection to the unconscious. Current approaches to the effects of dreams on emotional regulation, trauma, and cognitive development will be presented.
✅ 13:30 – Children’s Dreams According to Cognitive Development Theories – Ali Rıza Duru
Children’s dreams are directly related to their cognitive development. This presentation will examine how dream content is shaped by mental processes in light of Piaget’s cognitive development stages, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory, and neuroscience findings. The relationship between conceptual development, memory formation, emotional regulation, and dreams will be discussed, exploring the psychological and therapeutic significance of children’s dreams.
✅ 14:00 – Psychoanalytically Oriented Child Psychopathology and Dreams – Noa H. Kenar
According to psychoanalytic theory, children’s dreams offer clues about unconscious conflicts, traumatic experiences, and repressed emotions. How do defense mechanisms, transference, impulses, and internal conflicts manifest in dream content? This talk will analyze child psychopathology through dream analysis, evaluating the role of dreams in therapy with clinical examples.
✅ 14:30 – The Role of Nightmares in Children’s Dreams – Zülal Kılınç
Nightmares, which are common in childhood, reflect unconscious fears and anxieties. This talk will examine the psychological and developmental origins of nightmares, discussing common nightmare types and recurring themes. The relationship between nightmares and children’s emotional regulation will be explored, and therapeutic approaches will be evaluated through case studies.
✅ 15:00 – Psychological Analysis of Children’s Dreams and Drawings: Integration into the Therapeutic Process – Fatima Ahmedova
Children’s dreams and drawings serve as two essential windows into their unconscious world. This talk will analyze how dream imagery is reflected in children’s drawings and how traumatic experiences, fears, or imaginative elements are interpreted in the therapeutic process. Through case examples, the role of dreams and drawings in understanding children’s emotional worlds will be discussed.
We invite you to the Children’s Dreams Symposium to explore scientific and therapeutic approaches to children’s dreams and deepen your knowledge with new research!
📅 Date: April 26, 2025 | Time: 11:00 – 15:30 | Online
📅 Registration Deadline: April 24, 2025 | 23:00
🔗 Details and registration:
📅 Replay Dates: May 5-18, 2025
🎓 A Certificate of Participation will be provided.
Open to anyone aged 20 and above, especially mental health professionals working with children, child development specialists, social workers, educators, children’s literature authors, and parents.
All presentations in this symposium will be conducted in Turkish.
Participation Conditions:
All proceeds from the symposium will be donated to non-governmental organizations supporting children. To complete your registration, donate a minimum of 500 TL to one of the institutions listed below and upload the receipt or a document showing the donation amount (jpeg or pdf) to the Registration Form. Each institution has different donation procedures, so please check the organization’s website for the necessary information and steps.
Organizations to Donate To:
- Koruncuk Foundation
- AÇEV
- Darüşşafaka
- LÖSEV
- TEGV
Symposium Organizing Committee:
Ali Rıza Duru | Noa H. Kenar | Pervin Çağla Zilbeyaz | Şule Nur Elmas Turan | Elif Kadı
📧 Contact: enstituruya@gmail.com
Speakers:
Ali Rıza Duru – A psychological counselor and educator specializing in dream analysis and psychotherapy after completing his undergraduate degree in Guidance and Psychological Counseling at Abant İzzet Baysal University. As the Turkey representative of the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD), he explores the psychotherapeutic use of dreams, unconscious dynamics, the relationship between trauma and dreams, recurring and typical dreams, nightmares, and lucid dreams. Duru conducts training on dream analysis ranging from psychodynamic to contemporary psychological theories, leads the “Dream Therapy Training for Mental Health Professionals” and “Dream Psychology” programs, and organizes interactive stage performances called “Binbir Gece Rüyaları” in different cities. He presents at congresses and symposiums, explaining the psychological dynamics of dreams, and is one of the organizers of the Interdisciplinary Dream Symposium. His work focuses on the psychological, anthropological, sociological, philosophical, and artistic contexts of dreams.
Noa H. Kenar – Founder of The Deep Path, Noa takes an interdisciplinary approach to studying dreams, altered states of consciousness, and the impact of sound on the mind. Conducting research at the intersection of psychoanalysis and shamanism, Kenar examines brain frequencies in dream and vision states, the effects of sound on unconscious processes, and trance experiences from a neuroscientific perspective. He also explores ancient societies’ dream practices through anthropological data. Currently pursuing a degree in Psychology at Istanbul University, Kenar coordinates the Dream Institute’s training programs.
Elif Kadı – A graduate of Binali Yıldırım University’s Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department. She has deepened her expertise with training in Dynamic Integrative Psychotherapy, Psychodynamically Oriented Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy, and Dream Therapy from the Dream Institute. Additionally, she has completed EMDR Level 1 training and continues her work under supervision. Integrating various psychotherapeutic techniques, Kadı supports individuals’ psychological well-being using multiple therapeutic approaches.
Şule Nur Elmas Turan – A graduate of Karadeniz Technical University’s Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department. She also completed the Family Counseling Certification Program at Marmara University. Since 2022, she has been working with individuals and couples in psychological counseling, primarily using Solution-Focused Therapy and Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) approach. Her journey with the Dream Institute in 2024 sparked her interest in dream analysis, and she is now actively researching and studying the language of dreams.
Leyla Bayrav – Completed her undergraduate studies in Guidance and Psychological Counseling at Boğaziçi University and her master’s degree in the Psychology Department at Istanbul Topkapı University. She obtained the title of Family Counselor after completing the Family Counseling program at Gedik University. Bayrav has received Emotion-Focused Couple Therapy training from the Integrative Psychotherapy Institute. Additionally, she has been trained and supervised by the Rorschach and Projective Tests Association in Projective Evaluation of Children’s Drawings, CAT, TAT, and Rorschach Tests, becoming a certified test practitioner. She has also received training and supervision in Systemic Family Therapy. Since 2009, she has participated in Psychoanalytically Oriented Case Supervisions led by expert instructors. With over 20 years of experience, she has been conducting psychoanalytically oriented work with children, adolescents, and parents. Furthermore, she has deepened her expertise in dream analysis by completing Dream Therapy Training at the Dream Institute.
Ezgi Mikyas – Graduated from Pamukkale University’s Guidance and Psychological Counseling Department and has been working as a Psychological Counselor at the Ministry of National Education for 13 years. Specializing in psychodynamic and body-oriented therapy techniques, Mikyas has completed Otto Kernberg’s Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Hakan Türkçapar’s Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Onur Okan Demirci’s EMDR training. She has also pursued various training programs in somatic psychology, adopting an integrative approach in her therapy processes. By completing Dream Therapy Training at the Dream Institute, she has further specialized in dream analysis.
Fatima Ahmadova – Earned her undergraduate degree in Guidance and Psychological Counseling from Baku Slavic University and completed her master’s degree in General Psychology at Istanbul Aydın University. She has expanded her expertise through various psychotherapy training programs, including Family Counseling, EMDR, Schema Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Additionally, she has received training in Child Drawing Analysis, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and MMPI, equipping her to offer comprehensive support to her clients. Having completed Dream Psychology and Dream Therapy Training at the Dream Institute, Ahmadova integrates a holistic and evidence-based approach into her therapy sessions.
Zülal Kılınç – Graduated from TED University’s Psychology Department and continues her work in psychotherapy, focusing particularly on children and adolescents. She is pursuing training in Positive and Cross-Cultural Psychotherapy and psychodrama, in addition to completing courses in Psychological First Aid, Autism Awareness, and Children’s Privacy. Through Dream Therapy Training at the Dream Institute, she has enhanced her expertise in dream analysis. Passionate about volunteer work, Kılınç has actively participated in various associations and non-governmental organizations. For the past two years, she has been providing voluntary psychological counseling with supervision support to children and adolescents in need of psychological assistance through the BAMBU Volunteer Education Platform.