THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA
CBT-I for insomnia, online across Ontario or in Barrie
Sleep that will not come, night after night, and a whole day spent paying for it. CBT-I is the first line treatment for chronic insomnia, and it does not rely on medication.
MY PHILOSOPHY
Structured work,
held at a pace you can actually sustain
CBT-I is more structured than the rest of my work. There is homework, there is a sleep diary, and there is a stage that asks you to spend less time in bed before it asks you to spend more. That stage is the hardest part, and it is where most people give up when they attempt this alone. It is also exactly where having someone alongside you makes the difference, because the pace can be adjusted to what you can manage. I trained in this treatment partly because I have lived experience of it.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY FOR INSOMNIA
One to one CBT-I, 50 minutes per session, usually seven to nine sessions when insomnia is the main focus. We map your sleep patterns first, then work through the components of the treatment: sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring, relaxation training, and the thoughts and beliefs you have built up around sleep and rest.
Inclusions:
A free consultation of 15 to 30 minutes before you commit to anything
A sleep diary and structured homework between sessions
The full CBT-I protocol, adapted to your patterns and your pace
A maintenance plan for carrying the strategies on your own afterwards
$165 per session
THE NINE WEEK INSOMNIA GROUP
The same CBT-I treatment, in a group of no more than seven people. Eighty minutes a week for nine weeks. You get the full protocol alongside others who are also awake at three in the morning, which does something individual therapy cannot. The group is focused on sleep, so it asks for less personal disclosure than you might expect.
Inclusions:
A consultation and a 30 to 40 minute assessment to check the fit
Nine weekly meetings of 80 minutes, maximum seven people
The same CBT-I strategies used in individual therapy
Room to raise your own sleep patterns within the group
$85 per session, $765 over the nine weeks
Ready when you are
We start with a free consultation of 15 to 30 minutes by video. If the group is what interests you, we add a short assessment to make sure it is the right fit. Sessions are available online across Ontario and in person in Barrie.
Frequently Asked
Questions
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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia is an adaptation of CBT built specifically for sleep. It has several components, including sleep restriction, cognitive restructuring, and relaxation training. Sleep hygiene is one small piece of one of those components, which is why advice about screens and bedtime routines rarely resolves chronic insomnia on its own.
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The overlap between insomnia, anxiety, depression, chronic pain and the menopause transition is very common, and CBT-I addresses all of it. If you have another sleep disorder such as sleep apnea, that needs treating first. If you live with bipolar disorder, CBT-I is not the first line treatment and you will need specialised support from a psychiatrist.
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Yes. If you eventually want to come off medication, becoming familiar with CBT-I first is useful. Any tapering needs to be planned with your physician and pharmacist, and I am glad to be part of that circle of care.
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This is the most challenging part of the treatment and the part that feels most counterintuitive. It works by building up your sleep drive and changing your relationship with your bedroom. It is also the clearest reason to do this with support rather than alone, because the pace can be adjusted to what you can handle.
FREE RESOURCES
Freebie: The Mental Health Inventory
01/ The Mental Health Inventory
Newsletter: Monthly Mental Health Guidance
