Working with Nightmares in Psychotherapy

Clinical Approaches, Somatic Grounding & Treatment Applications
About this Event

About this workshop

Reading the Language of Nightmares

Nightmares can offer real insight into emotional distress, trauma, and underlying psychological processes.

This workshop shows how clinicians work with nightmare content in psychotherapy — distinguishing nightmares from night terrors, linking dream imagery to current symptoms, and helping clients safely engage distressing dreams to reduce fear. Somatic grounding techniques support emotional regulation, with current research woven throughout to keep the approach evidence-based.

Learning objectives

What You’ll Learn

• Identify at least one way nightmare imagery can mirror or reflect a client’s current mental health symptoms.
• Describe at least one somatic or grounding technique that helps clients connect with internal resources when processing distressing dreams.
• Summarize at least three examples of current research on nightmares and dream work, and discuss their relevance to clinical practice.

Continuing education

Earning Your CE Credit

APA-approved sponsor | 6 CE hours | No prerequisites

You’ll receive your CE certificate after the workshop — just sign in when you arrive, sign out when you leave, and complete a short evaluation.

Venue & arrival

Before You Come

Date

Friday, October 2, 2026 · 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM PT

Location

DoubleTree by Hilton Monrovia — Pasadena Area
924 W Huntington Dr, Monrovia, CA 91016

Check-in

Check-in opens at 8:30AM

Course begins promptly at 9:00 AM · Sign-in Required for CE Credit

Meals

Light breakfast and lunch included

Bring

Photo ID and license number

Diversity & cultural responsiveness

An Inclusive Approach to Dream Work

Dreams and nightmares are shaped by cultural background, lived experience, and individual belief. This workshop approaches dream content with cultural humility and emphasizes culturally responsive, client-centered care throughout.

Research & references

Grounded in the Literature

Albanese et al. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychiatry
Cividini-Motta & Paiva (2021) · Frontiers in Psychology
Galovski et al. (2022) · Journal of Traumatic Stress
Gill et al. (2023) · BMC Psychiatry
Sheaves et al. (2023) · Sleep Medicine Reviews
Zhang et al. (2022) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

Agenda

🕑: 09:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Introduction to Nightmares and Sleep

Info: Sleep stages and dream formation, prevalence and clinical impact, nightmares vs. night terrors.

🕑: 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Nightmares and Mental Health Symptoms

Info: Links to anxiety, trauma, and mood disorders, and how imagery mirrors current symptoms.

🕑: 11:00 AM - 11:15 AM
Break
🕑: 11:15 AM - 12:15 PM
Research on Nightmares and Dream Work

Info: Current literature and its relevance to clinical practice.

🕑: 12:15 PM - 01:15 PM
Lunch

Info: (Included)

🕑: 01:15 PM - 02:15 PM
Understanding Nightmare Content in Clinical Settings

Info: Common themes and clinical approaches to distressing dreams.

🕑: 02:15 PM - 03:15 PM
Somatic Grounding Techniques for Nightmare Distress

Info: Physiological responses to fear, and grounding strategies for internal resourcing.

🕑: 03:15 PM - 03:30 PM
Break
🕑: 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Clinical Application and Case Discussion

Info: Integrating nightmare-focused interventions into psychotherapy, with case examples.