How Dreams Improve Emotional Health | Psychiatrist Loma K. Flowers on Emotional Competence

How do dreams support emotional health—and how can we use our feelings more skillfully in everyday life? On this episode of The Dream Journal, host Katherine Bell is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Loma K. Flowers, author of Catching Your Feelings, for a practical, grounded conversation about emotional competence and the role dreams play in mental health. Dr. Flowers introduces her model of emotional competence—balancing thinking, feeling, judgment, and action—and explains why ignoring emotions can lead to stress, illness, and impulsive decisions. Through real‑world examples, listener call‑ins, and a live demonstration of the dream interview method, she shows how dreams can function like an “emotional MRI,” revealing insights that help us make better choices. The episode includes a step‑by‑step dream exploration of Katherine’s rearview mirror dream, tools for journaling facts versus feelings, and practical guidance on using good judgment as risk assessment. Listeners also share how dreams helped with major decisions, physical healing, and navigating life transitions. This episode is ideal for anyone interested in dream interpretation, emotional intelligence, mental health, psychology, therapy tools, or personal growth. Topics covered include: What emotional competence really means How dreams help regulate emotions and improve judgment The dream interview method (live example) Using journaling to separate facts, feelings, and opinions Managing anger, impulsivity, and emotional overload Why practicing on “small moments” builds emotional skill Chapters 00:00 – Welcome to The Dream Journal & why dreams matter 02:36 – Introducing psychiatrist Dr. Loma K. Flowers 03:43 – Emotional competence: thinking, feeling, judgment, action 07:03 – Ignoring emotions and the body: a powerful personal story 08:09 – Dreams and psychosomatic health (blood pressure case) 10:29 – Dream interview method explained 10:36 – Rear‑view mirror dream: live dream exploration 13:30 – Handling rudeness, anger, and emotional triggers 19:34 – Journaling tool: facts vs feelings vs opinions 22:44 – Good judgment as risk assessment 33:50 – Listener calls: dreams for medical and life decisions BIO: Loma K. Flowers, MD served as Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at UCSF and was the first Chairman of the Board of the IASD in 1984. She collaborated with Gayle Delaney for over ten years as the Delaney & Flowers Center for the Study of Dreams. Dr Flowers has many peer reviewed articles addressing the application of dream exploration for healing mental health issues including substance abuse and psychosomatic illnesses. She developed the Emotional Competence curriculum in 1994 that includes dreams as a powerful internal resource. She is recipient of the APA Distinguished Life Fellow and the 2019 Solomon Carter Fuller Award. Her new book is  “Catching your Feelings, Skills to Direct Your Emotions into Constructive Action.” This show, episode number 356, was recorded during a live broadcast on March 21, 2026 at KSQD.org, community radio of Santa Cruz. Videos available on YouTube at youtube.com/@experientialdr