Dreamwork for Yourself, a guided, leisurely journey

Dreamwork for Yourself: Syllabus, March/April 2020

 

This pilot course will take you on a journey, via your dreams, deep into your inner world. As a cohort, we will explore various personal practices aimed at recalling, recording and then deeply experiencing our own dreams. We will learn what works best for each of us as methods to glean insight and meaning from our dreams, and offer these back to others in the class. By the end of the course, you will have clear, established method for personal dream exploration, and as part of the process, you will have taken a journey into the depths of your inner world.

Instructor: Dr. Leslie Ellis

Dr. Ellis is a world expert in the clinical use of dreams, with a specialty in working with PTSD nightmares. She has a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and a Masters in Counselling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute. She is vice president of The International Focusing Institute and has more than 20 years’ experience in clinical practice. She has taught a focusing certification program to therapists for more than 10 years, and is now offering online instruction in dreamwork to therapists and anyone interested in cultivating inner life through dreamwork, focusing and active imagination. She is the author of A Clinician’s Guide to Dream Therapy (Routledge, 2019), as well as numerous papers and book chapters on focusing and embodied, experiential dreamwork. She has also taught and delivered talks worldwide and is a keynote speaker at the 2020 conference for the International Association for the Study of Dreams.

Format:

Each month, Dr. Ellis will offer a new self-dreamwork practice, with examples and invite you to explore the technique using your own dreams. The course will be offered via several formats, including video presentations, live sessions, and both written and podcast format. All material will be recorded so you can revisit it, or catch up on any live material you miss. There will be a venue for sharing your experiences of each practice, and learning from the experience of others.

Timing:

Monthly live sessions, third Wednesday of each month, beginning March 4, 2020 from 3:00-4:30 PM PDT Second session April 1. All sessions recorded and available to all course participants whether you attend live or not. Enrolment open until April 15, 2020.

The course will be delivered over 8 sessions beginning in March 2020. Because the course is leisurely and self-paced, it is fine to join in after the class has started. You can watch the recorded live sessions, and take the material at whatever pace suits you.

Topics will include:

Recalling and recording your dreams

Why are dreams so important to attend to?

Working with associations: writing your dreams

Art and creativity: representing and experiencing your dreams

Focusing and active imagination: dialogue with your dreams

Re-entering the dream: being your dream elements, and dreaming forward

Follow the feeling: dreams as picture metaphors of emotion

Bias control: trying on opposites, illuminating blind spots

Co-creative dreamwork: attending to inner and outer relational dynamics

Waking up in your dreams: cultivating lucid awareness

Talking about your dreams: telling others

Dreamwork with others: collective dreamwork practices for everyone

Special topics: available upon request

 

Reading and assignments:

There will be many optional resources available to you including short pieces I will write specifically on the topic of the month, book recommendations and articles. But this is meant to be more of an experiential than an academic journey, so the emphasis will be on time for your own dream exploration and sharing of what you discover. You will also be encouraged to read and comment on the experiences of your classmates.

 

Dates, details, pricing

The course opens in March, with enrolment open until April 15 (and you are welcome to join us as a self-paced course after that).

It will run over 8 sessions, ending October 2020. You have the choice to stay in step with the group or go through the modules at your own pace.

Cost for the course will be $297 USD. Scholarships available, please inquire. Questions, contact lae2317@gmail.com  Register at www.drleslieellis.com/dreamwork-course