About Joseph Dillard

Joseph Dillard was born in Little, Rock, Arkansas, in 1949, the son of an orthodontist and a housewife. At thirteen he traveled to the Middle East with the Association for Research and Enlightenment, dedicated to the study of the Edgar Cayce readings. The group included Hugh Lynn Cayce, son of Edgar Cayce, Bill and Gladys McGarey, founders of the American Holistic Health Association, and Ida Rolf, founder of the bodywork known as Rolfing. At that time he was introduced to meditation, dream work, and a number of talented psychics. In college he studied comparative religion, psychology, and philosophy, with particular interest in Nagarjuna’s Madhyamika (Mahayana) Buddhism. In 1975 he graduated from the University of Texas with a BA in philosophy. He traveled and lectured with Hugh Lynn Cayce on meditation and dreamwork. During this period of time Dr. Dillard learned and practiced Jungian, Gestalt, and other forms of therapy that use dream material extensively. In 1976 he began work in the mental health field and received his Master’s in Social Work from the University of Arkansas in 1978. In 1979, while working in northern Arkansas as the administrator of a multidisciplinary pain treatment center, he had the opportunity to continue his education by developing and presenting health risk reduction programs to groups of senior citizens. For this work, in addition to program development at the pain treatment center, he was awarded his PhD in Wholistic Health Sciences from Columbia Pacific University in 1980. Also in 1980, he created Dream Sociometry, the dreamwork methodology that led to the development of a form of therapeutic imagery, Integral Deep Listening, a type of “deep listening” to the transformational perspectives of spirit within. A dream led to a move to Phoenix, Arizona in 1983 and work as a psychotherapist at the ARE Clinic. About this time he became a devoted admirer of Ken Wilber’s integral psychology, whose influence is found throughout his writings.

In 1985 Dr. Dillard co-authored Dreamworking, How to Use Your Dreams for Creative Problem Solving with Stanley Krippner, a pioneer in dream telepathy and shamanic healing. Dr. Dillard has been in private and group practice as a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) in greater Phoenix, Arizona, since 1985, treating individuals, couples, and families for relationship issues, depression, anxiety, addiction, ADD/ADHD, and spiritual development issues. His daughter Kira was born in 1987. Also in 1987, he became a co-minister at Logos, an interdenominational church in Scottsdale, Arizona. In 1989 he ran the Pike’s Peak marathon. In 2000 he began offering Practitioner Certification in Therapeutic Imagery at the Southwest Institute for the Healing Arts (SWIHA), in Tempe, Arizona. In 2007 he started offering Integral Deep Listening Certification in Germany. In 2009 he moved to Berlin.  Dr. Dillard loves to camp, jog, and hikel. He pursues an integral life practice, of which Integral Deep Listening is a major component. His real love is helping others awaken to their unique potential for personal fulfillment and service to others.

In addition to Dreamworking and Deep Listening: Awakening Spirit’s Purpose with Integral Deep Listening, he is author of six textbooks used in conjunction with the Integral Deep Listening curriculum. These are: Transformational Dreamwork: Toward an Integral Approach to Deep Listening, Dream Yoga, Dream Sociometry, Integral Deep Listening and Healing, Integral Deep Listening Practitioner, Integral Deep Listening Interviewing Techniques, and Integral Deep Listening and Meditation. His basic text, Integral Deep listening, is available in German as Der Weg Der Traume.