Dream Tenders—and the Leaders Who Need Them

The true wealth of nations is found—among other places—in the vitality of its people & their dreams. Yet, “the American dream” has nothing to do with the mysteries of night & the hidden potentials of our own souls & the soul of the world. Ever make a key decision based on a dream?
 
All leaders can benefit from working with dream tenders, people who can empower us to receive insight & inspiration from our own ecology of mind, our own wider, deeper intelligence, empowering us to overcome a lack of good sleep & a lack of truly skillful relationship w/ our dreams.
 
Dream tenders approach sleeping-and-dreaming with reverence, guiding us to greater clarity & coherence in our lives. Let’s not go on trying to live & lead without good sleep & an inspired relationship with our own dreams & the dreams of the world.
 
Rubin Naiman, PhD, FAASM & Leslie Ellis, Ph.D., RCC are dream tenders leaders should pay attention to. Each in their unique yet resonant ways has transcended the medicalization of sleep, & entered into the esoteric realm of dreams to help others learn the secrets there. “Esoteric” means something sacred & hidden remains hidden—until we find it. Then it becomes increasingly obvious in its presence & importance.
 
Leslie works with dreams & dreamers, one-on-one & in the context of retreats & group work. She is a registered clinical counsellor w/ specialized training in focusing-oriented therapy, & is expert in its use for treatment of trauma.
 
A specialist in somatic approaches to therapy, Leslie has studied somatic approaches as well.  She has developed a method of embodied, experiential dream work combining focusing with Jungian active imagination techniques.
 
If any of this sounds foreign, let me assure you it gives Leslie an exceptional foundation for dream work. Having read her book, interviewed her, & gotten to know her, I can attest she’s worth reading, & she’s a great person to work w/ directly in order to open up your dream life & your waking life in synchrony.
 
Rubin Naiman is an equally insightful psychologist, a Fellow in the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, & clinical assistant professor of medicine at U. of Arizona’s Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine where he has taught seminars on sleep & dreams to physicians for 25 years. He pioneered the development of integrative approaches to sleep & dreams, synergizing scientific, depth psychological, transpersonal, & spiritual perspectives. He has taught & consulted about sleep & dream in a dozen countries.
 
Rubin’s work has included training doctoral psychology students, dreamwork w/ hospice patients & survivors, & establishing & directing sleep & dream health programs. He served as a creativity consultant for the entertainment industry, including travel w/ a world-renowned rock band.
 
Like Leslie, Rubin is a skilled writer. Check out Hush: A Book of Bedtime Contemplations, & Healthy Sleep, an audio program co-authored w/ Andrew Weil.

An interview with Rubin:
https://dangerous-wisdom.captivate.fm/episode/recovering-sleep-and-dreams
 
An interview with Leslie:
https://dangerous-wisdom.captivate.fm/episode/attending-to-our-dreams-dialogue-with-dr-leslie-ellis
 
Additional links:
 
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wisdom-love-good-nights-sleepa-case-study-leaders-all-nikos/?trackingId=CBfOTkzlQzuu33Df7souHg%3D%3D
 
https://drleslieellis.com/clinicians-guide-to-dream-therapy/
 
https://aeon.co/essays/we-live-in-a-wake-centric-world-losing-touch-with-our-dreams
 
https://aeon.co/essays/the-cure-for-insomnia-is-to-fall-in-love-with-sleep-again