Imagery Rehearsal Based Art Therapy: Treatment of Post-traumatic Nightmares in Art Therapy.
Suzanne Haeyen, Merel Staal
Frontiers in Psychology January 14, 2021 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.628717 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Systematic review with field research Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Interventions | Imagery Rehearsal Therapy Art therapy |
| Topics | PTSD Dreaming |
| Keywords | Art therapy Nightmares Imagery rehearsal therapy |
| Key findings | Argues that integrating art therapy into Imagery Rehearsal Therapy produces a promising framework, Imagery Rehearsal-based Art Therapy (IR-AT), that may help patients access traumatic memories, experience feelings, and break through avoidance more readily than verbal methods, and could be especially useful for those who benefit least from verbal exposure techniques. |
Abstract
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) is effective for trauma-related nightmares and is also a challenge to patients in finding access to their traumatic memories, because these are saved in non-verbal, visual, or audiovisual language. Art therapy (AT) is an experiential treatment that addresses images rather than words. This study investigates the possibility of an IRT-AT combination. Systematic literature review and field research was conducted, and the integration of theoretical and practice-based knowledge resulted in a framework for Imagery Rehearsal-based Art Therapy (IR-AT). The added value of AT in IRT appears to be more readily gaining access to traumatic experiences, living through feelings, and breaking through avoidance. Exposure and re-scripting take place more indirectly, experientially and sometimes in a playlike manner using art assignments and materials. In the artwork, imagination, play and fantasy offer creative space to stop the vicious circle of nightmares by changing theme, story line, ending, or any part of the dream into a more positive and acceptable one. IR-AT emerges as a promising method for treatment, and could be especially useful for patients who benefit least from verbal exposure techniques. This description of IR-AT offers a base for further research.
Comparable studies
Other systematic reviews and meta-analyses on dreaming, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dreaming as mind wandering: evidence from functional neuroimaging and first-person content reports. | 2013 | Systematic review with meta-analytic comparison | |
| Lucid dreaming incidence: A quality effects meta-analysis of 50 years of research | 2016 | Meta-analysis | |
| The effectiveness of lucid dreaming therapy in patients with nightmares: A systematic review. Adults with chronic and recurring nightmares | 2023 | Systematic review | |
| The relationships between insomnia, nightmares, and dreams: A systematic review Individuals without a concomitant psychopathology, including those with insomnia or... | 2024 | Systematic review | |
| Psychosocial treatments for nightmares in adults and children: a systematic review | 2023 | Systematic review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 4
- Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A State-of-the-art Review. Current Neuropharmacology 2024
- Nightmare Relief: Implementing Imagery Rehearsal Therapy in Counseling Journal of Mental Health Counseling April 1, 2025
- DreamDirector: Designing a Generative AI System to Aid Therapists in Treating Clients' Nightmares International Conference on Intelligent User Interfaces March 24, 2025
- Drawing your way out: Imagery rehearsal based art therapy (IR-AT) for post-traumatic nightmares in borderline personality disorder. Journal of Clinical Psychology May 1, 2024
Cites 3
- Imagery rehearsal therapy in addition to treatment as usual for patients with diverse psychiatric diagnoses suffering from nightmares: a randomized controlled trial. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry September 1, 2015
- A Meta-analysis of Imagery Rehearsal for Post-trauma Nightmares: Effects on Nightmare Frequency, Sleep Quality, and Posttraumatic Stress Clinical Psychology Review June 30, 2012
- Dreaming in posttraumatic stress disorder: A critical review of phenomenology, psychophysiology and treatment. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics 2007