{"version":1,"type":"rich","provider_name":"Libsyn","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.libsyn.com","height":90,"width":600,"title":"Dreams as Medicine: What They Are Trying to Heal","description":"Toko-pa Turner is an author, dreamworker, and teacher whose work explores the profound relationship between dreams, belonging, and the human psyche. Drawing from the mystical tradition of Sufism and Jungian psychology, Toko-pa invites people to see dreams not as random events, but as living conversations with a deeper intelligence that guides us toward wholeness. Her award-winning books, Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home and The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams, encourage readers to reconnect with the symbolic language of the soul and rediscover belonging as an inner, evolving experience rather than something to be found outside themselves. In this episode, host Shay Beider and Toko-pa explore how dreams can become trusted companions on the healing journey, offering insight into the parts of ourselves that long to be seen, understood, and integrated. Toko-pa shares how her own experiences growing up in a spiritual community marked by both beauty and abuse led her to the work of Carl Jung, where she discovered that much of our suffering stems from the divide between our public selves and our hidden inner lives. Together, they discuss the role of shadow work, the meaning behind recurring dreams and nightmares, and why approaching dreams with curiosity rather than fear allows them to become powerful allies in personal growth. Toko-pa explains that metaphors are the psyche's native language, serving as a bridge between the visible and invisible worlds, and that dreams often reveal our deepest potential long before we consciously recognize it. Rather than searching for belonging in external places, she invites listeners to see periods of exile, uncertainty, and even loneliness as essential parts of discovering who they truly are. Their conversation is a reminder that healing is not about becoming someone new, but about remembering the wholeness that has always existed within us\u2014and allowing our dreams to gently lead us back home. Listen to the complete episode by clicking the player above. Transcripts for this episode are available at: https:\/\/www.integrativetouch.org\/conversations-on-healing  Show Notes: Learn more about Toko-Pa here Read Toko-pa\u2019s book Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home Read Toko-pa\u2019s book The Dreaming Way: Courting the Wisdom of Dreams Learn more about Sufism here Find out more about Carl Jung here  Read The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture by Gabor Mate, M.D. and Daniel Mate This podcast was created by Integrative Touch (InTouch), which is changing healthcare through human connectivity. A leader in the field of integrative medicine, InTouch exists to alleviate pain and isolation for anyone affected by illness, disability or trauma. This includes kids and adults with cancers, genetic conditions, autism, cerebral palsy, traumatic stress, and other serious health issues. The founder, Shay Beider, pioneered a new therapy called Integrative Touch\u2122Therapy that supports healing from trauma and serious illness. The organization provides proven integrative medicine therapies, education and support that fill critical healthcare gaps. Their success is driven by deep compassion, community and integrity.  Each year, InTouch reaches thousands of people at the Integrative Touch Healing Center, both in person and through Telehealth. Thanks to the incredible support of volunteers and contributors, InTouch created a unique scholarship model called Heal it Forward that brings services to people in need at little or no cost to them. To learn more or donate to Heal it Forward\u00ae, please visit IntegrativeTouch.org   ","author_name":"Conversations on Healing Podcast","author_url":"https:\/\/www.integrativetouch.org\/conversations-on-healing","html":"