There’s something fishy about this dream

Understanding and interpreting your dreams is an extremely underutilized tool by many when it comes to self-help therapy. When you are able to interpret the messages your dream state sends you, your perception of your capabilities is challenged as well as enhanced.

Dear Dream Retriever: This past few months, my dreams have been chaotic, to say the least, and I am sure you can help me understand them.

I have followed your column for years and love it. I find the advice you give to be informative as well as educational.

I am a teacher and share it with my students; they are all fans of the column.

In my dream, I am at my lake house with my family, sitting on the dock. We are not fishing, but there is a small fish flapping around on the dock. I walk up closer to it, and I see that it is struggling to breathe but I make no effort to sweep it back into the water. ( This is not like me at all.)

The fish stops moving, and I still don’t do anything. Suddenly, the fish starts to flap around again and plops into the water. I turn around, and my car is on the dock behind me.

I woke up seriously confused. Any input at all would really be appreciated. Thanks. — Carmela

Dear Carmela: Thank you for sharing. I find your personal interaction with your students is commendable; dream interpretation gives one insight into children’s overall well-being on many levels.

You are at your lake house, which represents your emotions in relationship to this matter. You see a fish out of water and watch as it becomes breathless without trying to help it.

This signifies your feelings of helplessness in regard to your current situation — like a fish out of water — and how amplified this feels. The fish springs back to life and plops back into the water, representing how quickly you can change how you feel about the situation that is making you feel uncomfortable. You turn and there is your car.

This is say that as soon as you get over whatever makes you feel uncomfortable about this situation, you will incorporate it into what drives or motivates you, signified by your car.

You are challenging yourself to see things differently.