Motivational therapy for bed-wetting

Motivational therapy for bed-wetting often simply involves telling children that they have control of their bodies and encouraging them to gain that control. Parents and the child together can also design a reward system for dry days that will encourage and motivate the child.

This therapy may involve a series of counseling sessions with a trained professional. During the sessions, the counselor encourages the child to take responsibility for the bed-wetting and to be very involved in the treatment. The counselor, parents, and child decide what reward (praise, stickers, or trinkets) the child will be given for dry days and/or nights.

Motivational therapy helps many children gain some degree of control over their bed-wetting.

• It is unclear exactly how many children gain complete bladder control through motivational therapy alone. Results from studies vary widely.
• Children who do gain complete bladder control with motivational therapy are less likely to return to accidental wetting after treatment than children who are treated with other therapies.

Motivational therapy has the best chance of success when the child is eager and willing to participate, the parents are conscientious and responsible, and the health professional and family communicate well with each other.¹

Motivational therapy is often used in combination with other treatments, especially moisture alarms, dry-bed training, or self-awakening therapy.

Citations

1. Koff SA, Jayanthi VR (2002). Nocturnal enuresis. In PC Walsh et al., eds., Campbell's Urology, 8th ed., vol. 3, pp. 2273–2283. Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.