Miguel Hernández University, Spain

Treatment of darkness phobia in children

A child with a phobia of the dark perceives dangers in absence of light and feels vulnerable when they have to sleep alone. They imagine frightening creatures hiding in their room that challenge them in the darkness. Their intense fear prevents them from enjoying normal activities for their age, like sleeping at a friend's house or spending the night away from home during a school trip. The phobia of the dark, one of the most common problems in childhood, adversely affects the child and their family, but fortunately its treatment is simple and effective. The session aims to present the therapeutic process for children and adolescents with phobia of darkness. The proposed protocol of intervention includes gradual exposure in vivo as its main technique and this is complemented by other educational, behavioral and cognitive therapy strategies that help the child cope with what they fear. There will be a brief summary of the psychopathology of the phobia of the dark and the tools to assess the child, as well as a presentation of the treatment, session by session, and possible solutions to specific problems that often occur during the treatment.

Mireia Orgilés is Professor in the area of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment at the University Miguel Hernández. She teaches child psychological treatment and she directs the Master in Psychological Therapy with Children and Adolescents. Her research focuses on the assessment and treatment of child and adolescent emotional problems and in particular, anxiety disorders. She is the author of the textbooks, Psychological Therapy with Children and Adolescents (2006), Psychological and educational intervention with children and adolescents (2007), Separation Anxiety (2008), and FORTIUS Programme (2012). As a result of her contributions to scientific journals and conferences, she received in 2010 the Young Investigator Award, with which the University Miguel Hernández recognizes the important career of young researchers. She is a member of the research group Analysis, Intervention and Applied Therapy with Children and Adolescents (AITANA) and an associate editor of the Journal of Child and Adolescent Clinical Psychology. Her teaching and research is complemented with clinical practice, as she is a therapist and coordinator of the Childrens Therapy Unit at the University Clinic of the University Miguel Hernández.