Sloan the Thought Slayer is a story and game about overcoming fears with cognitive-behavioral interventions. The story is about a boy named Sloan who struggles to fall asleep due to a thunderstorm and intrusive thoughts of monsters creeping on him. He wakes up the next morning determined to overcome his fears and to be prepared before bedtime.
Sloan makes armor to protect him from intrusive thoughts. The helmet represents protecting his mind from thoughts that make him feel unsafe. The body armor reminds him that he is not alone but has a family who will help him when he feels out of control. His shoes remind him that he can run from anything that tries to harm him, allowing him to escape. His shield is a forcefield that keeps the thoughts out until he has a chance to filter through and only allows in thoughts that are helpful and true. Finally, his sword represents speaking the truth to replace the lies that taunt him at night.
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Sloan is now prepared to confront his fears, armed with the truth, protection from his mind, a way to escape, and support from his family. He no longer fears the whispering lies that try to enter his mind, now able to confront them with the truth.
The game helps kids understand thought-stopping and replacement techniques, coping skills to calm down when triggered and helps them put together a plan to overcome fears. Nighttime terrors can be a thing of the past when children learn to overcome their fears.