- Home and Help
- DREAM JOURNAL
- Nutrition and Sleep
- Apps That Can Help
- Nightmares about Dying
- Just Had A Bad Nightmare
- Message Forum CLICK HERE
- Medications CAUSE NMares
- Supplements that HELP
- Medications that HELP
- Image Rehearsal Therapy
- Exposure Therapy
- Rescripting Therapy ERRT
- Lucid Dreaming
- Cognitive Behavioral CBT
- Muscle Relaxation (PMR)
- EMDR
- Hypnosis
- Medication Withdrawal
- Prepare Sleep History
- Nightmare Disorder
- PTSD and Nightmares
- Parasomnias
- Nightmares in Children
- Book Suggestions
- Sleep Research Centers
- Find Sleep Specialists
- Resources and Research
- Definitions for Nmares
- HOPE FOR PEACEFUL SLEEP
- About & My Best Approach
About Nightmare Counseling
Dr. Kevin Grold
I'm not entirely sure why I created this website. I don't have nightmares, and I rarely remember my dreams. However, I feel deeply for those who struggle with sleep. It must be a nightmare in itself. I especially sympathize with people who are afraid to sleep because they know what awaits them.
I truly believe nightmares can end. There is a solution to every problem; you just have to find it. Initially, I thought about offering counseling for people with nightmares. I would feel comfortable sitting with those who are afraid to share their "hell." But then I realized I could help more people by creating a website with every known tool, including support from fellow nightmare sufferers. This also reduces the risk of legal issues, which, unfortunately, is a consideration in today's society.
If you were sitting down with me in therapy, I would tell you to become an expert on all the resources on this site before coming to see me. I would also suggest that you find someone else to help with their nightmares. Teaching and helping someone else is a great way to also help yourself.
In the space below, I'll share what I would do next as a therapist.
I believe you can find a caring, empathetic person to follow my suggestions and help you as I would. They may not be comfortable hearing your darkest images, but you might find a partner in the support group to act as your confidant.
YOU CAN STOP THE NIGHTMARES AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP.
MAKE IT HAPPEN.
More about me...
Just Google my name if you are interested --Kevin Grold, Ph.D.
My BEST APPROACH to help with nightmares
(THIS APPROACH IS NOT FOR REMEMBERING TRAUMATIC NIGHTMARES--SEE PTSD HELP)
I don't believe that a banana in your dream has the same meaning for every person from every culture. Its significance is unique to you! The focus should be on what each element of your dream or nightmare means personally to you. Find a friend who can listen without forming preconceived notions about your experience. Share your entire nightmare with all its gory and reprehensible details. If a friend can't handle this, consider seeing a professional therapist.
The person you share with should ask, "What was the most important part of the nightmare? What stood out to you?" Being in a deeply relaxed state can help keep your conscious mind from dismissing the exercise. Then, try embodying that most important part of your dream. Spend some time getting into character as if you are acting in a play. If it's the banana, then you become the banana. Talk to yourself as the banana, expressing what you think and feel about yourself.
Ask the banana questions like: Why are you here? What do I have to learn from you? What will it take to get you to stop haunting me? Be open and let the banana "talk" to you, sharing something you need to hear. Write it down if it helps. This message is the important lesson from your nightmare that keeps it recurring.
Write down what the banana says you need to do to stop it from appearing in your sleep. See how this advice relates to your current life. It might be obvious, or, if it's something deeply repressed, your friend might recognize it. Either way, take the advice. Thank the wise banana for its insight and ask for more guidance in future dreams, which may be less nightmarish.
Keep a strict dream journal, following advice on this site, and observe how your dreams and nightmares evolve and become less impactful in your life.