Overcoming Bedwetting

Dr. Eileen Feeny, a psychiatrist, has been working with the Goulding SleepTalk® process for many years and shares this case history:

I was referred a six year old girl who had Nocturnal Enuresis (bed-wetting at night). She had an older brother of eight years who was not experiencing any problems at that time. The longest period of dryness that the child had managed was four and a half weeks whilst her father was in France one year prior to the referral. However, within a week of his return, she was bed-wetting every night. Her mother phoned the Children’s Hospital for advice and was told to take her out of nappies, reduce fluids at night and to toilet her. However, these measures did not work. Therefore, her mother decided to get further help. The other problem the child experienced was night terrors and these may have been an associated or compounding factor in relation to the bed-wetting.

I saw the child with her parents and brother. It was quite apparent how she clung to her mother’s arm during the session. Both parents had problems disciplining her when she made inappropriate demands or interrupted the conversation.

In her individual play session she was highly anxious about leaving her mother in the waiting room and she proved quite difficult to engage in the play therapy initially. She also reacted with temper tantrums when not allowed her own way. I felt that I was fighting a losing battle as her mother also had difficulty separating from the child even briefly and her father was very much on the periphery and hence, not available to help.

I decided to use SleepTalk® for Children as I was not confident that the more traditional “Bell and Pad” method would work. We had tried the more traditional approach but on the first night that the child was woken to go to the toilet, she waited until she was back in bed to wet it. Her mother thought it was cruel to get the child to change the sheets and hence did it for her. I knew we had to try something else.

The SleepTalk® for Children method involved both parents and gave them a sense of control over what happened. The child’s father became more involved and was very enthusiastic about the technique. They went to the child’s room approximately an hour after she went to sleep. The technique was used to connect to the sub-conscious. They got a shock the first time they used the technique because the child sat up and stared straight ahead. They were reassured that this was quite normal and it is important to get her to lie back and to continue in a calm voice. They said the foundation script.

After using the basic process for approximately one week feedback indicated acceptance of the process. We then used the Primary Areas of Need that we had previously agreed upon.

I saw the child with her parents approximately three weeks after they started SleepTalk® for Children. She appeared to be less clingy. Both parents spoke about how the child had been dry for about a week. Both parents actively participated in the SleepTalk®. They were very happy to be so involved in helping their daughter.

I reviewed the progress six weeks later. The child had remained dry. Her father told me that they had used the process to help their daughter concentrate at school, and they were pleased with her progress. I offered to see them again if the need arose.