The North of Eden Retreat Center in Vermont

In a northern part of rural Vermont, a spiritual practice sometimes referred to as "Dreamwork", or simply "the Work", has been steadily building quiet momentum over the last few decades. In recent years, the spacious and homely dwelling - affectionately known as "The Barn" - that hosts the seasonal North of Eden retreats has become the hub of much of the activity connected with Archetypal Dreamwork.

This work was spearheaded in the early '70's by Marc Bregman, a postal worker-turned-guide of souls who built up his early practice largely upon the invaluable word-of-mouth of clients who were impressed by the extent to which his spiritual discernment helped them to see (and feel) into their core life issues and predicaments. Trusting implicitly in the authority of each client's dreams, Bregman witnessed again and again the miracle of the Work as it manifested for those people who committed to this difficult path.

The journey towards uncovering our true selves can be a lonely process filled with much fumbling in the dark and little support. This is especially true in Archetypal Psychology, as Bregman refers to his work, which differs vastly from conventional approaches to therapy in that it strives to guide people into their own inner wellspring rather than try to adapt them to a status quo - i.e., society at large - that is, at best, spiritually malnourished and, at worst, pathological. The North of Eden retreat center has evolved into a kind of sanctuary for dreamwork practitioners, a sacred space wherein they may intensify their inner work and also share their trials and triumphs with others who are living this process.

The whirlwind of psychic and emotional energy stirred up by all this intensive inner work demands a container that can somehow be both sturdy enough to hold it and nurturing enough to foster it. To provide this, group leaders draw not only upon their training and knowledge but also upon the inner support and guidance that is the fruit of their own work. At its deepest levels, the Dreamwork puts one in touch with a kind of transpersonal love and awareness that enables one to perceive what each group participant needs at whatever stage they may be at in their personal journey.

Group leaders were originally culled from a pool of clients who had reached advanced stages of their work and even felt the Call to act as facilitators for clients of their own. As of this writing, there are over a dozen Deamwork practitioners working as therapists under Marc Bregman's supervision; and many of them also lead retreat groups, bringing the strength and wisdom of their inner connection to the crucial structure that holds North of Eden together. They also embody the love, honesty and integrity that serves to model, for newcomers, what will always lie at the heart of this work.