Dr. Leslie Ellis

How to work with your own dreams: Stay engaged with them

I’m feeling celebratory because yesterday I pressed ‘SEND’ on the very last step in writing my book on the clinical use of dreams. Happy and tired, like I’ve just given birth – which, in a way, I have. Now I want this long-term labour of love to be read widely, and to reach those it’s

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Dr. Leslie Ellis

Nightmares are easily treatable, though too few seek help

Taken together, the nightmare studies presented at the recent (June 2019) conference for the International Association for the Study of Dreams (IASD) offer compelling reasons for those who suffer from nightmares to seek any kind of treatment, and as soon as possible. The studies suggest that virtually all nightmare treatments are effective, and that the

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Dr. Leslie Ellis

Dreams: Mysteries solved and unresolved

Welcome to Demystifying Dreams! I will begin by stating that to resolve most questions about dreams is an impossible task. Although we understand more now than ever before, some key aspects of dreams remain a subject of considerable debate. For example, there is no consensus on the purpose of dreaming, or even if they have a purpose, and

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Dr. Leslie Ellis

Why work with dreams? They are a fast track to deep waters

Why should we work with dreams? For psychotherapists, dream work can deepen and accelerate the process of therapy. Many clinicians and clinical training programs reject dream work as too esoteric or antiquated for modern psychotherapy, but I believe the ability to work with client’s dreams is an essential aspect of a course of psychotherapy, and

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Dr. Leslie Ellis

Slippery fish: How to remember your dreams

When I tell people I work with and write about dreams, often the first thing they say is, “I don’t dream.” Or sometimes, more accurately, “I don’t remember my dreams.” We all dream what is in essence a feature film worth of dreams every night, but the vast majority of these nocturnal movies are not

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