Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Trauma: Rapidly Decrease Chronic Nightmares, Improve Sleep and Reduce PTSD Symptoms
- Speaker:
- Amelia Kelley, PhD
- Duration:
- 6 Hours 20 Minutes
- Language:
- Presented in EN, subtitles in EN and FR, handouts in EN and FR
- Format:
- Audio and Video
- Copyright:
-
May 23, 2025
- Product Code:
- POS150157
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar
Description
Nightmares and sleep disturbances are among the most distressing and persistent symptoms of trauma.
But assuming these issues will improve as therapy progresses can leave clients suffering longer than necessary … and worsen irritability, memory lapses, and concentration difficulties that make therapy even harder.
Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) offers a faster, more direct approach so you can reduce nightmares and improve your clients’ sleep in as few as 3 to 4 sessions - no previous sleep expertise required!
And now in this live webinar, you can learn to apply the evidence-based IRT protocol in just one day so you can:
- Rapidly reduce the frequency and intensity of clients’ nightmares
- Quickly improve clients overall emotional well-being
- Make therapy more efficient by reducing the memory lapses, irritability, and concentration issues caused by poor sleep
- And much more
And since the focus of IRT is on re-writing (and not recalling) nightmares, this approach is not only proven to work but is gentle on your clients.
So don’t wait. Purchase today!
Credit
Program Information
Planning Committee Disclosure - No relevant relationshipsAll members of the PESI, Inc. planning committee have provided disclosures of financial relationships with ineligible organizations and any relevant non-financial relationships prior to planning content for this activity. None of the committee members had relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies or other potentially biasing relationships to disclose to learners. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.
NOTE: Tuition includes one free CE Certificate (participant will be able to print the certificate of completion after passing the online post-test (80% passing score) and completing the evaluation). Instructional methods will include PowerPoint, didactic lecture, and others.
Continuing Education Information: Listed below are the continuing education credit(s) currently available for this non-interactive self-study package. Program content is reviewed periodically per accrediting board rules for currency and appropriateness for credit. Credit approvals are subject to change. Please note, your licensing board dictates whether self-study is an acceptable form of continuing education, as well as which credit types are acceptable for continuing education hours. Please refer to your licensing board's rules and regulations. If your profession is not listed, please contact your licensing board to determine your continuing education requirements and check for reciprocal approval.
For other credit inquiries not specified below, please contact info@pesi.com or 800-844-8260 before purchase.
Materials that are included in this course may include interventions and modalities that are beyond the authorized practice of your profession. As a licensed professional, you are responsible for reviewing the scope of practice, including activities that are defined in law as beyond the boundaries of practice in accordance with and in compliance with your profession's standards.
For Planning Committee disclosures, please see the statement above. For speaker disclosures, please see the faculty biography.
Earn up to 6.25 CE hours. Please see below, for more details, as credit amounts vary by jurisdiction and profession.
PESI, Inc. is approved by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association to offer continuing education for counsellors and psychotherapists. PESI, Inc. maintains responsibility for the program. This self-study activity is approved for 6.0 credit hours.

PESI, Inc., #1062, is approved as an ACE provider to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: January 27, 2026 - January 27, 2029. Social workers completing this course receive 6.25 Clinical continuing education credits.
Course Level: Intermediate Format: Recorded asynchronous distance. Full attendance is required; no partial credits will be offered for partial attendance.
Canadian Social Workers: Canadian provinces may accept activities offered by providers approved by the ASWB ACE program for ongoing professional development.
This self-study activity qualifies for 6.25 continuing education clock hours as required by many national and local licensing boards and professional organizations. Save your activity advertisement and certificate of completion, and contact your own board or organization for specific requirements.

This self-study course has been approved by PESI, Inc., as a NAADAC Approved Education Provider, for educational credits. NAADAC Provider #77553. PESI, Inc. is responsible for all aspects of their programming.
This self-study course offers 6.0 continuing education contact hours in the Counseling Services skill group. Full attendance is required; no partial credit will be awarded for partial attendance.

PESI, Inc. is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. Nurses completing these self-study materials will earn 6.25 contact hours. Expires: 04/22/2028.
Handouts
| File type | File name | Number of pages | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manual - Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Trauma (24.9 MB) | 32 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Trauma - French (24.9 MB) | 32 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Trauma - Italian (24.9 MB) | 32 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Trauma - German (24.9 MB) | 32 Pages | Available after Purchase | |
| Manual - Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for Trauma - Spanish (24.9 MB) | 32 Pages | Available after Purchase |
Speaker
Amelia Kelley, PhD Related seminars and products
Dr. Amelia Kelley is a trauma-informed therapist, researcher, and educator specializing in mental health, neurodiversity, trauma recovery, and nervous-system regulation across the lifespan. She is the author of Powered by ADHD, Surviving Suicidal Ideation, and several other books, and the founder of the Powered by ADHD community and support group. She is also the owner of Kelley Counseling & Wellness, serving neurodivergent and highly sensitive individuals of all ages.
Her work has been featured in ADDitude, SiriusXM Doctor Radio, NPR, The Chicago Tribune, Parade, Healthline, HuffPost, and Psychology Today. A TED speaker and 2025 TED Editor’s Pick, Dr. Kelley is a national advocate for suicide prevention and early mental health screening in schools, supporting all children — including neurodivergent youth — through proactive, prevention-focused care. She teaches internationally on trauma, empowerment-based therapy, ADHD, and embodied regulation, and is the developer of the Women-Centered ADHD Treatment Model (W-CAT), advancing more accurate and compassionate mental health treatment.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Amelia Kelley maintains a private practice and has an employment relationship with the Art Therapy Institute. She receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. She has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Amelia Kelley has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Additional Info
Program Information
Questions?Visit our FAQ page at https://www.pesicanada.ca/faq or contact us at https://www.pesicanada.ca/contact-us.
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)
Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Objectives
- Identify how childhood trauma exposure interacts with real-world stress to exacerbate clients’ physiological sleep issues.
- Determine the significance of the identification of sleep disturbances in treatment of trauma-exposed clients.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of IRT in reducing nightmare frequency and distress, using standardised measures such as the Nightmare Frequency Questionnaire and the Nightmare Distress Questionnaire.
- Use IRT techniques to create calming images and re-script nightmares.
- Integrate key CBT-I techniques, including sleep restriction and cognitive restructuring, for patients experiencing insomnia.
- Utilise art therapy elements to support the phases of Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (exposing, rescripting, and rehearsing) in the treatment of PTSD.
Outline
Nightmares, Sleep Disturbance and PTSD- Diagnosing PTSD
- CPTSD and special consideration for IRT
- Co-occurring sleep disturbances with PTSD
- Traumatic versus nontraumatic nightmares
- The prevalence of nightmares and traumatic nightmares in PTSD
- The function of nightmares and dreams as exposure
- How stress adversely impact sleep health
- Chronic pain exacerbated by sleep disorders in PTSD
- Frequent waking, hyperarousal and nightmares
- Quality sleep and memory consolidation
- Quality sleep and emotion regulation
- What happens to the sleep deprived PTSD brain
- Research support for use of IRT
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and IRT
- Emotional processing theory and IRT
- The use of Targeted memory reactivation (TMR) and IRT
- Research, risks and treatment limitations
- Indication and contraindications
- Step 1 – Psychoeducation and Rationale
- Step 2 – Dream Analysis and Selection
- Step 3 – Dream Recording (written or alternatives of telling/drawing)
- Step 4 – Dream Rescripting
- Step 5 – Dream Rehearsal
- Step 6 – Follow up
- Overview of evidenced based CBT-I treatment for insomnia
- Change unhelpful cognitions around sleep
- Growth mindset to identify improvements made even if nightmares persist
- Top sleep hygiene tips to improve sleep after IRT
- Efficacy of art therapy to increase engagement and curb avoidance
- Art therapy to increase safety
- Externalisation of nightmares through art
- Sensory-perceptual experiences in IR-AT
- how to implement unique procedures in IR-AT
Target Audience
- Counsellors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Psychotherapists
- Therapists
- Addiction Counsellors
- Marriage and Family Therapists
- Nurses
- Physicians
- Psychiatrists
- Other Mental Health Professionals
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