ABSTRACT
Nightmares are among the most dramatic kinds of dreams. They can be both the most frightening and the most transformative. There is considerable recent research demonstrating that rescripting the ending of dreams is an effective treatment for those whose disturbed dreaming has become a serious problem, and/or is part of the symptomology of PTSD. This chapter briefly describes the current research, as well as the author’s study using dreamwork to treat the nightmares of refugees. The chapter contains a detailed clinical example, including the actual script of how one might work with the dreamer to re-enter a nightmare and carry it forward. In a follow-up conversation, the dreamer explains how the session helped to dissipate the emotional charge contained in the dream.
