My approach in working with this boy involved two main steps:

1. First, he needed to understand that the problem was “in his head.” That is, the things he feared and that were interfering with his sleep were not entities that he actually needed to be fearful of, but simply products of his vivid imagination. Fortunately, this boy knew this full well.
2. Second – and this is the key step – if imagination can cause the problem, imagination can cure the problem. I set this boy to work coming up with imaginary creatures that would be on his side and able to battle and defeat the monsters bringing him such distress. He created an intricate sequence of “blobs” able to outnumber and overwhelm the monsters of his bedtime.

The results were immediate: This boy and both parents reported that he was consistently sleeping in his own bed. Quickly, the frequency of his fears declined and he was able to dispel them rapidly when they did come on, with the help of his faithful “blobs.” To me, this approach was enormously gratifying for several reasons. The boy was able to defeat his imaginary monsters by himself rather than only through the presence of another person. This, I believe, will help him in many ways in his life, by strengthening his sense of competence and self-sufficiency. His belief that he was safe only in the presence of his mother, or of a protective adult, gave way to a view that he could be and feel safe even when he was by himself. Finally, rather than attempting to subdue or disparage his imagination – one of his great strengths – he was able to use his potent imagination and creativity to overcome this problem.