Dr. Kelly Sullivan Walden is an international bestselling author of ten books, an award-winning dreams expert, an interfaith minister, a certified clinical hypnotherapist, a practitioner of religious science, an inspirational speaker, and a workshop facilitator. Also known as Doctor Dream, her unique approach to dream therapy led her to become a trusted advisor, coach, and consultant, enriching the lives of thousands of individuals across the globe from Fortune 500 executives to celebrities to stay-at-home moms.
Her career in dream therapy led her to interpret dreams for Doctor Oz, Ricki Lake, George Noory (from Coast to Coast and Beyond Belief), the hosts from The Real, Logan Paul, Stassi Schroeder (from Vanderpump Rules), Topher Grace, the Housewives of NY and the O.C. and many more.
She's the bestselling author of seven books, two journals, four oracle decks, and two apps. Her books include, I Had the Strangest Dream, It’s All in Your Dreams, Dreaming Heaven, The Love, Sex & Relationship Dream Dictionary, Luminous Humanness, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Dreams and Premonitions, and Dreams and the Unexplainable.
She's the host of the Kelly Sullivan Walden Show on www.MindBodySpirit.FM, and the founder of DreamWork Practioner Training, an online program that teaches professionals to develop dream mastery.
Kelly earned her masters and doctorate in ministry from The New Seminary in New York, the oldest interfaith seminary in the world. Together with her husband, Dana, Kelly co-founded The Dream Project and CHIME IN: youth-empowerment initiatives that support the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information and a free dreamtime meditation to enhance dream recall, go to: www.KellySullivanWalden.com.
Get Social with her:
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Twitter and Instagram: KellySWalden
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@kellysullivanwald
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/KellySWalden
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In Kelly's Words...
My newest book, A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste: The Art of Transforming the Tragic into Magic comes out January 17th, 2023 with Beyond Words Publishing.
When asked why I write so many books, I respond borrowing the words of Jules Renard saying, “Writing is a way of talking without being interrupted.” Apparently, I have a lot to say. In fact, as a kid my family pasted a photo of me in our Webster’s dictionary next to: loquacious: adjective tending to talk a great deal; talkative.
I resemble that remark.Talkative, though I may be, I’m not the type to drone on about my woe-is-me stories, which is why, in all my previous books, I’ve written from a place of authority, as a dream expert. I’m proud of those books, don’t get me wrong. It’s just that, lately I’ve discovered people seem to get more value when I reveal my “tragic to magic” stories than when I just skip to the “magic.”
The collection of 30 true stories in my latest book A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste feature some measure of crisis—shining a light on my flaws, insecurities, and most embarrassing naive moments. From a hot-air balloon crash in a wildlife refuge to a near-death experience on the eve of my fortieth birthday. In this book, besides shining a light on my muddiest moments, I demonstrate my four-step OGLE method that alchemizes challenges into blessings (and cuts years off the recovery process):
O: What is the Offending behavior and/or situation?
G: What is Good about that offending behavior and/or situation?
L: How am I peering into the Looking Glass (mirror)?
E: How will I allow this situation to Elevate me?
In spite of the title, the book’s not all serious. I guarantee you’ll get at least a few chuckles as you map your experiences onto mine. Along the way, I pray you’ll become better equipped to transform life’s unexpected tragedies and mishaps into a magical journey of self-exploration, love, and badassery.
Fun Facts (aka 25 Things Most People Don't Know About Kelly)
1. My childhood nickname was “Smelly Kelly with a Big Belly full of Jelly.” The abbreviated version was and still is, "Smelly." My little sister called me "Cow" and I called myself "Lolly." To this day if a family member or close friend calls me, "Kelly," I think something's wrong.
2. The first dream I recall included me being chased by a witch around the turrets of a scary castle.
3. I have four sisters that I adore. Growing up, my sister Shannon and I not only shared a bedroom, but we often shared dreamscapes. The fancy term for it, I later learned is called “tandem dreaming.”
4. My first love was Elvis. I literally dreamed about marrying him when I was five years old...and practiced telling him that Pricilla would have to go!
5. The first poem I memorized and recited was by Oscar Wilde. I recited it in front of my 3rd grade class, "The Optimist and the pessimist: the difference is droll. The optimist sees the doughnut, the pessimist sees the hole."
6. When I was thirteen I used to wear a comb in my back pocket of my skintight jeans that read, "If you can read this, you’re too close."
7. I blame the fact that I don't like to cook (but love to be cooked for) on my teacher of my 7th grade cooking class, who gave me a "D."
8. In high school I was the cheerleader voted "Most Spirited" by my senior class. Even though our team rarely won, and I could never follow the game.
9. I have a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do and I used to save my life 3 times (thank you mom for insisting I learn it!)
10. My first college semester was in Seville, Spain where I lived with a Spanish family and managed to learn Spanish (with a slight lithp).
11. At 21 years old I was crowned "Miss Public Nuisance" as a publicity stunt for a Beverly Hills Art Gallery. It landed me on Hard Copy and Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous (not because I was rich or famous, but because my boss was.)
12. I was a back-up dancer for Stacy Q (remember "2 of Hearts"?)
14. In my 20s I was an actress, and my first leading role was in a horror film entitled, Death by Dialogue. NO, I did not talk everyone to death; I do that in real life, thank you, very much.
15. I played the role of the girl in the T-Bird who provoked the song, "Fun, fun, fun, ‘till daddy takes the T-Bird away," in a TV movie of the week about the Beach Boys (Summer Dreams).
16. I was in a singing group called "Zuzu's Petals"-- inspired by the movie, "It's A Wonderful Life."
17. To this day I have slumber parties several times a year with my BFFs from high school-- Shawndara, D'ona, Nancy (and Theresa, who is now on the other side). You can't say I haven't fully embraced my inner teenager.
18. I got married to my beloved, Dana, in our backyard meadow in Topanga, CA, surrounded by friends, family, and a bevy of Goddesses. It was magnificent, even though my Catholic family freaked out (but I think they loved it in the end…or at least pretended to).
19. I once went on a shopping spree at Bed, Bath & Beyond for the Dali Lama.
20. I had a near-death experience. I went to the other side and came back (obviously), and quite literally saw the light. Words cannot describe the beauty of the experience and the freedom of knowing the beauty that awaits us all on the other side of the veil.
21. September 2008 I had the mind-boggling honor of speaking about my non-profit program (then called The Dream Project, now called Chime In) at the United Nations in Paris, France.
23. I'm an acronym freak and I use them for nearly everything, for example: How to J.E.T.S.E.T your D.R.E.A.M.S.; how to overcome your F.E.A.R.; and how to O.G.L.E. your problems to transform them from Tragic into Magic!
24. For my 20th high school reunion I was named the person with the "Most Unusual Career." I guess that's what happens when you become a Hypnotherapist/Dream Coach/Author who people refer to as "Doctor Dream"!
25. I dared to bare all in my new book A Crisis is a Terrible Thing to Waste, where I share 30 stories about crash landing in the mud (metaphorically speaking) and finding my way to the mountaintop. I hope it inspires you to find the gold in your darkest hours, where you least expect to find it.
