Better Sleep for your Clients (and Maybe Yourself): Practical Strategies from CBT-i and ACT
Better Sleep for your Clients (and Maybe Yourself): Practical Strategies from CBT-i and ACT
*Early Registration rate valid until October 14th.
One-third of Americans report suffering one or more nights of insomnia during any given year. Poor sleep and insomnia can contribute to diabetes, heart disease, obesity, depression, anxiety and chronic pain—not to mention burnout among the very health care and behavioral health professionals that are poised to help with these conditions. Insomnia medications are often habit-forming, have troubling side effects, and merely mask the symptoms of sleeplessness rather than treat the underlying problems. We all have had clients who have suffered from a poor night's sleep. What role do we play in helping to curb the effects of sleeplessness and insomnia? A variety of behavioral approaches have been proven effective in treating insomnia and difficulties with sleep. However, many clinicians lack the training and confidence to work effectively with these issues.
This presentation will review the basic components of CBT for Insomnia (CBT-i):
Sleep hygiene as an actionable focus for behavior change (not just a handout!)
Stimulus control (sorting out your days and nights!)
Sleep restriction therapy (SRT). We will discuss softer versions of SRT that are more agreeable to clients.
We will also consider where a less control-based set of strategies drawn from mindfulness-based therapies and ACT might be more effective—and more acceptable to your clients. This presentation will emphasize ways to work with your existing clients who struggle with sleep so you do not need to disrupt your care by referring them out.
Learning Objectives
After this presentation, participants will be able to:
Summarize the “three tiers” of CBT-i: sleep hygiene, stimulus control, and sleep restriction.
Explain in simple terms the idea of “softening” awakenings from sleep.
Explain the difference between CBT “de-catastrophizing” and ACT “defusion”—of stress thoughts related to sleeplessness.
Bio
Joel Guarna, PhD is a licensed psychologist in the state of Maine. He earned his PhD from Bowling Green State University in 2000 and trained at the Boston Consortium in Clinical Psychology. He later served as a staff psychologist in the VA Healthcare System in Boston. He has worked in a variety of medical settings including Maine Medical Partners Endocrinology and Diabetes Center in Scarborough and as Behavioral Health Faculty Lead in the MMC Family Medicine Residency Program. He co-directed the Living Life Well Pain Rehabilitation Program at the Mercy Pain Center in Portland for 7 years. Joel ran his private practice in Portland for 18 years. In 2024, he joined Psychology Specialists of Maine (PSM) and serves as the Director of the Center for Education and Training. He continues to see a caseload of clients, working as a generalist but also specializing in addictions, chronic health and chronic pain, and serving professionals who work as “helpers” in healthcare and related settings.