CBT for Insomnia

Addressing Insomnia with CBT-I at Thompson Therapeutics

At Thompson Therapeutics, we are committed to providing our clients with the most effective and innovative therapies available. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is one such therapy, widely recognized for its ability to help individuals address chronic sleep difficulties, leading to an increase in overall mental and physical resiliency and health. In 2019, the National Institute of Health found CBT-I is the most effective yet underutilized non-pharmacological treatment for insomnia, noting that clients experienced no tangible side effects, had fewer episodes of relapse, and often continued to experience improvements beyond discharge*.

What is CBT-I?

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a therapeutic approach specifically designed to address chronic sleeplessness and its associated impacts. True to its name, CBT-I addresses these problems by analyzing and helping clients shift both thoughts (cognitions) and habits (behaviors) that interfere with the quality and quantity of their rest. 

CBT-I is grounded in the understanding that a combination of factors may cause and sustain unhelpful habits around sleeping, and that the impacts of these difficulties can mount and interact over time, leaving clients feeling discouraged, misunderstood, and struggling to keep up with their lives due to associated physical, cognitive, and emotional impacts. CBT-I therapists also recognize that insomnia may result from concurrent concerns such as chronic medical conditions, trauma, and anxiety; and are equipped to consider and address these additional factors when developing treatment plans.

How Thompson Therapeutics Delivers CBT-I

At Thompson Therapeutics, treatment for insomnia is delivered in an effective and compassionate manner, with attention paid to clients’ individual needs. Here’s what you can expect from your CBT-I experience with us:

  • Thorough Assessment and Goal-Setting: Before beginning CBT-I, our therapists conduct a comprehensive assessment to understand your specific needs and history. This may include communications with your doctor to rule out certain medical conditions and determine the impact/effectiveness of any medications you are taking. It may also involve addressing other underlying mental health concerns such as trauma or anxiety. These initial steps allow us to determine whether CBT-I is appropriate, the order in which concerns should be addressed, and what techniques might best address your individual needs and work with your lifestyle.

  • Structured Approach: CBT-I at Thompson Therapeutics is delivered using a structured approach, but what is implemented each week is determined based on client feedback. We begin by simply tracking your sleep and any behaviors, thoughts, or emotions that you associate with sleeping. This approach helps therapists determine how and when the various facets of CBT-I will be applied to your case. From there, continued measurements allow for direct feedback on their efficacy and guide therapists on any alterations that are needed.

  • Supportive and Encouraging Environment: CBT-I depends on client willingness to engage in new behaviors and work to create new habits between sessions. This can be difficult for some clients, so therapists spend parts of each session using strengths-based techniques to help clients maintain their motivation and process concerns or other barriers. 

  • Sustainable Changes: As clients achieve their goals with relation to sleep quality and quantity, therapists help clients determine factors that might lead to relapse in symptoms and offer proactive ways of addressing them. They will also help clients recognize and enjoy the many mental and physical benefits of quality rest, so as to provide motivation to continue to build on these new habits when the formal phase of treatment is over.

The Benefits of CBT-I

CBT-I has been extensively researched and is considered the most effective, yet under-utilized, non-pharmacological treatments for insomnia. Some of the key benefits include:

  • Rapid Symptom Relief: When clients proactively engage in all the tools provided to them, quality and quantity of sleep may begin to improve within just 2 or 3 weeks. Sometimes, CBT-I full treatment plans may be completed in as few as 6 sessions, although this may vary depending on individual circumstances.

  • Focus on Education and Empowerment: Therapists work to empower clients with comprehensive sleep education, helping them to examine any myths that might be interfering with their individual efforts and providing a strong basis for them to feel empowered in the process.

  • Create Good (and Practical) Habits: CBT-I therapists are intentional about learning about client routines throughout the 24 hour cycle, applying their knowledge to prescribe small changes that make sense in the context of individual client lifestyles, commitments, and other goals.

  • Reduces Emotional Distress: CBT-I therapists attend to the frustration clients often feel with regard to their sleep, helping them to use their short term gains to challenge self-defeating thought processes and enjoy an overall more optimistic outlook.

  • Measurable Results: Clients are given tools to directly measure the quantity and quality of sleep, giving them tangible methods to observe and celebrate their progress. 

  • Enhanced Self-Awareness: CBT-I therapists offer clients powerful, strengths-based, and easy to use tools to track their sleep, so they can continue to self-treat even once they have completed their work with the therapist.

  • Overall Improvement in Wellness: As clients increase the quality and quantity of their sleep, they often find that they have more energy, motivation, and mental clarity, making other positive changes in their lives seem more possible.

Begin Your Healing Journey Today

If you’ve been struggling with low quality and/or quantity of your rest, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) at Thompson Therapeutics may be for you. Our experienced therapists are here to support you every step of the way, helping you to experience the many physical and mental benefits of regular, sustainable sleep.

* Rossman J. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia: An Effective and Underutilized Treatment for Insomnia. Am J Lifestyle Med. 2019 Aug 12;13(6):544-547. doi: 10.1177/1559827619867677. PMID: 31662718; PMCID: PMC6796223.