Integral Deep Listening (IDL) is a structured, phenomenologically grounded approach to engaging lived experience — dreams, nightmares, stress, and emergent patterns of consciousness. IDL was developed to support clinicians, caregivers, and self-directed practice groups in listening deeply, ethically, and collaboratively.
IDL integrates developmental perspectives, transrational insights, and practical clinical methods to foster understanding, safety, and transformation. The approach is intentionally non-prescriptive, honoring the uniqueness of each individual’s experience while offering a coherent framework for guided exploration.
Mission & Values
Our mission is to cultivate deep listening as a foundational practice for human growth, healing, and transformation. We emphasize:
- Ethical engagement: working within professional and developmental boundaries.
- Phenomenological focus: attending to experience as it is lived, not as a symptom to be fixed.
- Integration: connecting internal experiences to life, relationships, and broader contexts.
- Accessibility: supporting clinicians, caregivers, and learners from diverse backgrounds.
History
IDL was developed over years of clinical practice, research, and teaching. It emerged from the need to work with dreams, nightmares, and imaginal material in a way that honors the developmental and phenomenological realities of clients. The method draws from psychology, developmental science, contemplative practices, and integrative approaches to listening and meaning-making.
Founder
Joseph Dillard, MA, is a clinician and researcher with decades of experience in child, adolescent, and adult therapeutic practice. He has developed IDL to be both rigorous and accessible, bridging research, practice, and lived experience.
Community & Learning
IDL is more than a method — it is a living practice supported by **Sanghas**, self-directed learning groups, and professional communities. We encourage clinicians and caregivers to join, practice, and share IDL in ways that are ethical, sustainable, and generative.
To learn more about training, certification, and self-directed practice opportunities, visit our Learning & Training page.