Author Archives: Veronica Tonay

About Veronica Tonay

International dream expert, Dr. Veronica Tonay, earned her masters and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley in the early 1990s. She has been a licensed psychologist in private practice since 1997 (PSY 15379), and has taught psychology courses to undergraduates at the University of California at Santa Cruz since 1989.  Her work has been featured for over 20 years in many media outlets, such as Psychology Today, NPR Public Radio, abcnews.com, and The Chicago Tribune. Dr. Tonay was featured as a dream expert on the Discovery Health Channel's 3-episode miniseries, Dream Decoders. She has organized several dream conferences for the International Association for the Study of Dreams, and has published journal articles and three books, the latest being "The Creative Dreamer, Revised: Using Your Dreams to Unlock Your Creativity" (Ten Speed Press/Celestial Arts).  She lives with her husband, Steven, in Santa Cruz, California, gardening, painting, writing, dancing, and dreaming.

Fall(ing) Dreams

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Veronica Tonay

Greetings, dreamers!  Autumn has arrived here, with the trees shedding their bright gowns… It’s been a busy few months, and I’m heading to Rancho la Puerta again soon to give another dream workshop.  In the meantime, the word, “fall,” is … Continue reading →

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Scary Kids

Posted on April 9, 2012 by Veronica Tonay

Happy Spring, dreamers!  I’m enjoying the natural world as it unfolds its blossoms and surrounds us with a living metaphor for creating new plans, hopes, and dreams… Last night, I was the guest of Esme Murphy on CBS’ WCCO 830 news … Continue reading →

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Dream Stories

Posted on March 12, 2012 by Veronica Tonay

Greetings, dreamers! The garden is a singing palette of blooms.  We’ve had a heat wave, most conducive to rose tea and a book on the patio. That book could be your own dream journal… In my private practice, teaching, and … Continue reading →

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Zombie Dreams

Posted on February 4, 2012 by Veronica Tonay

Greetings, creative dreamers! Winter is melting here, with warm days and blossoms appearing overnight on the cherry trees.  What dreams are you exploring as the days grow longer? Last month, my former student, Michael, wrote: “I am aware the winter … Continue reading →

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Dreams and darkness

Posted on December 9, 2011 by Veronica Tonay

Greetings, dreamers! We are approaching the winter solstice, the day that turns the dark to light for the next six months of the year… Just as light is a metaphor, so is darkness: in dreams, the dark can stand for … Continue reading →

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Dreams and light

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Veronica Tonay

The slanting autumn sun got me musing today about light, and the meaning of light in dreams.  I’ve noticed that when creative dreamers are struggling, stuck, blocked, frustrated, screaming, or banging their heads against the wall, their dreams tend to … Continue reading →

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Dreams and Labyrinths

Posted on August 20, 2011 by Veronica Tonay

Tonight, I was interviewed about dreams by Michael Dixon at WCCO radio in Minnesota.  As we closed, he mentioned he’d many times walked the labyrinth at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.  If you have a labyrinth near you (and they … Continue reading →

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Food dreams

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Veronica Tonay

Greetings, dreamers!  Spring has arrived here, in her skirts of blossom and leaf, the birds crowding feeders for every last seed.  Spring is the archetypal season of creativity: time to rebuild, rejuvenate, (pro)create, and try new things!  Our appetites increase… … Continue reading →

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Wars, conflicts, and dreams

Posted on March 10, 2011 by Veronica Tonay

Happy March, dreamers!  The chill is receding in my town, and everyone seems to be opening up, shaking off their contracted spirits, and beginning to twirl with anticipation of sunshine.  One cat is curled up around a cup of Imperial … Continue reading →

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Attacker Dreams

Posted on November 21, 2010 by Veronica Tonay

Greetings, dreamers! The weather has turned, here, from a strange heat wave to chill, thunder, lightening, and rain.  In the garden, the last heart-shaped leaf on our bright redbud tree dropped to the ground this morning. It’s time for a … Continue reading →

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