About us

The Dream Research Institute is provided by the CCPE to promote research into the connection between dreams and well being from the spiritual perspective. The Institute supports a synergy of research to advance our understanding of dreams. Researchers at the DRI address such fundamental questions as:

the purpose and meaning of dreams

the contribution of dreams to mental health and wellbeing

the function and effectiveness of dreamwork in promoting psycho-spiritual and physical healing in a therapeutic setting

the integration of the spiritual approach to dreams across psychotherapeutic approaches

the use of dreams to track psycho-spiritual development

the role of the imagination in dreams

the links between the lucid dream state and psycho-spiritual development

the neurology of states of consciousness in dreams

To explore these questions, researchers use a variety of observational, experimental, theoretical, phenomenological, and neurological approaches. Research areas include studies of the psycho-spiritual evolution of individuals reflected in dreams, accelerated healing in conscious dreaming and varieties of dream states and experiences, including lucid dreaming.

Meet our team

"Community is first of all a quality of the heart." - Henri J. M. Nouwen

Dr. Nigel Hamilton

Founding Director, DRI & CCPE, Ph.D., Dipl. Clinical Psychotherapy & Social Psychiatry

Nigel serves as the Founding Director of the Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy Education and the Dream Research Institute. He runs dream workshops, trainings and retreats in the UK and abroad He published Awakening Through Dreams: The Journey Through the Inner Landscape in 2014.

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Dr. Nigel Hamilton

Founding Director, DRI & CCPE, Ph.D., Dipl. Clinical Psychotherapy & Social Psychiatry

Nigel serves as the Founding Director of the Centre for Counselling & Psychotherapy Education and the Dream Research Institute. He runs dream workshops, trainings and retreats in the UK and abroad He published Awakening Through Dreams: The Journey Through the Inner Landscape in 2014.

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Melinda Powell

Co-Founder, DRI, and Senior Advisor, M.A. (Psych and Religion), Dipls. Psych., Spvn. & Adv. Psych., Cert. Transpersonal Dreamwork

Melinda co-founded and advises the DRI. She has served as Vice President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Melinda has developed and teaches the practice of ‘Lucid Surrender’. She is the author of The Hidden Lives of Dreams (2020) & Lucid Surrender: The Alchemy of the Soul in Lucid Dreaming (2021)

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Melinda Powell

Co-Founder, DRI, and Senior Advisor, M.A. (Psych and Religion), Dipls. Psych., Spvn. & Adv. Psych., Cert. Transpersonal Dreamwork

Melinda co-founded and advises the DRI. She has served as Vice President of the International Association for the Study of Dreams. Melinda has developed and teaches the practice of ‘Lucid Surrender’. She is the author of The Hidden Lives of Dreams (2020) & Lucid Surrender: The Alchemy of the Soul in Lucid Dreaming (2021)

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Dave Billington

Director and Course Facilitator, DRI, M.A., Dipls Psychotherapy, Supervision, Adv. Dreamwork

Dave directs the DRI and teaches dreamwork courses. He is working on developing and implementing the DRI vision of people waking up to the potential of their dreams with the opportunities and resources of the DRI to support learning about dreams from a psychospiritual perspective.

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Dave Billington

Director and Course Facilitator, DRI, M.A., Dipls Psychotherapy, Supervision, Adv. Dreamwork

Dave directs the DRI and teaches dreamwork courses. He is working on developing and implementing the DRI vision of people waking up to the potential of their dreams with the opportunities and resources of the DRI to support learning about dreams from a psychospiritual perspective.

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Dr. Rashon Chowdhury

DRI Associate, Director of Academic Studies, CCPE, EdD, MA, Dipls. Psych, Supvn, Adv Dreamwork Certificate. Director of the MAin Transpersonal Counselling & Psychotherapy at CCPE

Rashon is an integrative transpersonal psychotherapist, and a clinical and academic supervisor.  For her Doctorate in Education, she carried out research on Menopause from a psycho-spiritual perspective.  She became CCPE’s director of Academic studies in 2021.

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Dr. Rashon Chowdhury

DRI Associate, Director of Academic Studies, CCPE, EdD, MA, Dipls. Psych, Supvn, Adv Dreamwork Certificate. Director of the MAin Transpersonal Counselling & Psychotherapy at CCPE

Rashon is an integrative transpersonal psychotherapist, and a clinical and academic supervisor.  For her Doctorate in Education, she carried out research on Menopause from a psycho-spiritual perspective.  She became CCPE’s director of Academic studies in 2021.

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Debra Deaville

DRI Associate, MA Psychotherapy, Dipls. Psych, Supvn. & Adv. Psych, Dreamwork Cert.

Debra is an dream guide and group facilitator. She has a special interest in working with alchemical dreams to guide the research process and facilitate psycho-spiritual transformation. Debra is conducting doctoral research at Canterbury Christ Church University into ‘the experience of embodying soul’, using dreams to guide her inquiry.

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Debra Deaville

DRI Associate, MA Psychotherapy, Dipls. Psych, Supvn. & Adv. Psych, Dreamwork Cert.

Debra is an dream guide and group facilitator. She has a special interest in working with alchemical dreams to guide the research process and facilitate psycho-spiritual transformation. Debra is conducting doctoral research at Canterbury Christ Church University into ‘the experience of embodying soul’, using dreams to guide her inquiry.

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Laura Payne

DRI Associate, MA Psychotherapy, Dipls. Psych, Supvn. & Adv. Psych, Dreamwork Cert.

Laura is a psychotherapist, supervisor, teacher, writer and researcher with a particular interest in the ancient Greek practice of dream incubation in the Asklepion healing temples

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Laura Payne

DRI Associate, MA Psychotherapy, Dipls. Psych, Supvn. & Adv. Psych, Dreamwork Cert.

Laura is a psychotherapist, supervisor, teacher, writer and researcher with a particular interest in the ancient Greek practice of dream incubation in the Asklepion healing temples

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Our institute

Visit us in London's Little Venice on the Regent's Canal.

The DRI is housed within CCPE, at Beauchamp Lodge, a six-storey Regency building overlooking the Grand Union Canal at Little Venice, close to transport links on the Bakerloo line and Paddington Station, yet surrounded by the canal’s still waters and residential area. Our facility offers a reflective and rejuvenating space for research and dreamwork.

Beauchamp Lodge  has been used for a variety of purposes since its construction in 1853 and has had some illustrious residents including the writer Katherine Mansfield, and Napoleon III. Since the 1900’s, it has mainly been used for charitable purposes.

Let's stay in touch!

Get in touch to ask about anything on the site. Please note we do not accept or respond to unsolicited manuscripts or promotional requests and we do not offer individual dream interpretation. Our DRI team is available to give talks and workshops on dreams and to contribute to publications and articles.

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