Dream Work

I have a long-standing interest in dreams, especially their contribution to creativity and to self-knowledge, and I belong to the International Association for the Study of Dreams, attending conferences regularly. I lead dream study groups using the well-established Montague Ullman method, as developed at the Psychotherapy Institute in Gothenburg (Sweden), in Walthamstow and North London. I plan to take their group leadership certificate as soon as the training is offered in English, but in the meantime I am available to lead dream study groups and workshops, by individual arrangement.

Dream study groups

The foundation of the Ullman process is that the dreamer is the only expert on their dream; no one can 'interpret' it for them, they are not obliged to reveal anything, and everything said in the group is confidential. This makes it completely safe.

The dreamer presents their dream to the group (usually 4-8 people), and the group is led through a process of investigation which begins with the surface images in the dream, and progresses to deeper levels of imagery, through a series of stages in which the participants offer their feelings and ideas, and the dreamer responds. It takes around three hours, and usually leads to very meaningful insights. Only one dream is worked on in a session.

Whilst anyone can try the process, it works best with an experienced leader; every member of the group then finds that their experience is almost as profound as that of the dreamer.

The process works very well as a one-off, as a limited series of meetings, or as a regular group.

If you would like to form your own group (eg of friends or colleagues) I will visit and lead the group for one or more sessions.

From time to time I run a three-session course in Walthamstow which is open to the public: Introduction to Dream Group Work. E-mail me if you would like to receive further details.

Dream workshops

I run workshops linking dream work with creative writing, which I adapt to suit the needs of whoever has asked for the workshop. They typically cover: the science and historical examples of dreaming (briefly), relevant games and exercises, Ullman-related theory, and discussion.

I will visit your group and run a workshop if you would like to explore this approach.

Fees are negotiable for dream work; contact Heather.

Research

I am also conducting academic investigations into the connections between the two, in order to develop a synthesized approach which will enable anyone to learn to access their unconscious creativity, and to liberate it consciously. It may be especially useful to those suffering from problems such as writer's block, and to those who find they live too much in their intellect, and not enough in their emotions. It will aim to integrate all parts of the human mind in a balanced, relaxed way, for optimal functioning: it's also about getting in flow, or in the zone as it's often called by sportsmen and women. The Open University, for whom I work as an Associate Lecturer (on the Advanced Creative Writing course), is supporting me in this work; you can read more about it in my article Dreams and Creating Metaphors.

Recent workshops and seminars:

Dreams, Metaphor and Creative Writing: a seminar for Associate Lecturers in Arts and Humanities at the Open University in London, March '09.

Dreams and Creating Metaphors: a workshop at the Third International Conference of the Nordic and European Network for the Study of Dreams in Gothenburg, Sweden, March '09.

Creativity and Writing: a workshop for the London Association of Teachers of English, February '09.