Alpträume bei Kindern und Jugendlichen

The manual provides a practical guide for treating children and adolescents who suffer from frequent and distressing nightmares. It is based on Imagery Rehearsal Therapy, which has been successfully used for years to treat nightmares and post-traumatic nightmares in adults, and has been shown to significantly reduce the frequency and distress caused by nightmares. A key element of this therapeutic approach is the modification of the nightmare into a non-threatening dream narrative and the repeated imagination of this new dream sequence.

The nightmare therapy includes a diagnostic session and eight one-hour therapy sessions in an individual setting, incorporating elements of education, nightmare reconstruction, relaxation, imagination, and nightmare modification. It is a complete therapy program that can also be integrated into further therapeutic interventions if needed. The manual is suitable for treating isolated nightmares as well as nightmares in the context of other disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder. The therapeutic approach for children and adolescents is described in detail. The program has already been successfully implemented with children and its effectiveness has been verified. Numerous working materials and illustrated case examples support the application.