CBT-I

Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the gold-standard treatment for insomnia. It is widely recognized as the most effective and well-supported behavioral treatment for insomnia and has one of the strongest evidence bases of any behavioral interventions. I received training for CBT-I during my time working at the Veterans Health Administration. During my time at the VA, I ran the insomnia treatment program including group and individual treatment. I saw first hand how quickly, effectively and dramatically CBT-I aided clients with decades of chronic insomnia reclaim sleep- often regardless of other significant mental health difficulties. What's even more, improvement in sleep sometimes significantly improved other mental health difficulties in actual symptom reduction or in improved ability to cope with distress. Indeed, research has shown that CBT-I can help improve depression symptoms. 

 

CBT-I is a brief intervention, consisting of 4-6 weekly or biweekly sessions. It is an action-oriented treatment meaning it consists of homework outside of session throughout the course of treatment. CBT-I tends to be as effective as it is implemented and implementation can be a challenge- often requiring some changes be made to your sleep schedule. The role of the therapist in CBT-I is to provide accountability in staying on track with treatment recommendations and helping address hurdles that get in the way of adherence. 

 

Treatment begins with a thorough assessment of your sleep difficulties to ensure CBT-I is the right fit for you. In addition, there may be other sleep problems that impact your sleep difficulties. While I do not conduct sleep studies, I can recommend a sleep study if it is indicated. In addition, I help with treatment of other sleep disorders that respond to behavioral interventions such as treatment of chronic nightmares using CBT for nightmares (CBT-N), CPAP adherence for sleep apnea, and behavioral recommendations for circadian rhythm disorders/shift workers.