Essentials of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for Insomnia

This is an On Demand Webinar. Access information, resources and CEU information will be sent to you shortly after registration and registrants will be given unlimited access to the recording for a full year.

This 6 hour course was originally presented live on Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24, 2021.

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Research increasingly shows that Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) has a profound effect on chronic insomnia, works better than drugs, and improves treatment outcomes for comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety, pain, and trauma.

This two-day “Beyond the Basics” CBT-I workshop is designed for those who want to customize and adapt Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) for clients who have multiple diagnoses.  Day One will focus on reviewing the basics of assessment and delivery of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) with a more nuanced understanding of the perpetuating factors for chronic insomnia. Day two will focus on a case formulation approach that can be applied across disciplines, and clinic settings will be explored. This will enable you to sharpen your understanding of sleep regulation and will complement what you may already be doing for the treatment of a co-occuring condition. This approach provides relevant strategies to handle the types of complex cases you are most likely to encounter in clinical practice.

For example, challenging beliefs that vigilance is necessary in trauma-focused therapy can be complemented by strategies that address bed avoidance in PTSD. Or, increasing activity in chronic pain treatment protocols can be complemented by Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) advice about stimulus control (how to rest in a way that is not sleep interfering).  A client-centered, case formulation approach provides the flexibility and efficiency of delivery without compromising on empirical support. In addition to learning how to use case formulation to guide treatment decisions, attendees will learn how to develop suitable schedules for night owls with day jobs, how to work effectively with those with chronic hypnotic medication use, and how to work safely and effectively with those with co-occuring sleep apnea.

Back by popular demand! This is the fifth consecutive year leading researcher and CBT-I clinician Colleen Carney has presented for us. 

*For those who have already completed an introductory CBT-I workshop, you are welcome to take the second day only;  enter the discount/coupon code “carneyday2only” at checkout. Conversely, if you do not want to take an advanced workshop, you are welcome to sign up for the first day only;  enter the discount/coupon code “carneyday1only” at checkout. 

By the end of this training, attendees will be better able to—

  • Conduct a sleep assessment in a non-sleep specialty setting 
  • Assess and modify behaviours that interfere with the build-up of deep sleep drive
  • Teach clients to calculate their optimal time-in-bed prescription and determine their optimal “sleep window” 
  • Collaborate with clients on time-in-bed schedules
  • Suggest behaviours that enhance circadian regulation
  • Suggest techniques for managing cognitive arousal 
  • Implement fatigue management strategies 
  • Avoid arguing by co-designing behavioural experiments that challenge sleep beliefs
  • Construct a case formulation during assessment, using eight key questions 
  • Describe how CBT-I complements other CBT protocols for pain, depression and anxiety
  • Adapt treatment to those with multiple comorbidities and medications
  • Encourage clients to construct an effective relapse prevention plan

Colleen E. Carney, PhD, CPsych, is on faculty in the Department of Psychology at Ryerson University, where she is Director of the Sleep and Depression Laboratory. She is one of Canada’s leading experts in psychological treatments for insomnia, particularly in the context of co-occurring mental health issues.  Dr. Carney was the featured guest on the program, Fast Health “How to Sleep Better”, as well as Netflix’s A User’s Guide to Cheating Death (Episode 1, Season 2). She frequently trains students and mental health providers in CBT for Insomnia at invited workshops throughout North American and at international conferences.  She has over 100 publications on the topic of insomnia, including the only Cognitive Behavior Therapy workbook written expressly for comorbid insomnias as well as the only CBT-I case formulation book. For more information, please visit www.drcolleencarney.com.

Tuesday, March 23, 2021

TimeTopic Covered
1st hour
  • Assessment and the basics of sleep
2nd hour
  • Stimulus control and sleep scheduling
15 Minute Break
3rd hour
  • Counterarousal and cognitive therapy

Wednesday, March 24th, 2021

TimeTopic Covered
1st hour
  • Case formulation
2nd hour
  • Using the formulation to determine treatment strategies
15 Minute Break
3rd hour
  • Trouble shooting treatment issues 

This training offers 6 hours of direct contact (not counting breaks or lunch). It is the participant’s responsibility to check with their individual state boards/regulatory body to verify CE requirements for their license to practice.

For Attendees of On Demand/Recorded Version

If you are watching the On Demand/recorded version of this webinar, you will need to complete a Post-Webinar Quiz with a pass of at least 80% in order to verify your attendance.

For US Participants

  • Instructions on how to obtain your Certificate of Attendance showing the hours completed will be distributed either following the Live Broadcast or with On-Demand registration (On-Demand participants must pass a post-webinar attendance quiz).  A CE package will be available which includes the full webinar description and details, the speaker’s CV and references.

For Canadian and International participants

Upon fulfillment of the above requirements, Canadian and international participants will be issued a Certificate of Participation which features:

  • Name of Participant
  • Title of Training
  • Name of Presenter plus their credentials
  • Number of hours of training
  • Date of training
  • Confirmation that you have passed a quiz with at least 80% grade to verify your attendance

Please check carefully with your regulating body/organization that this certificate is sufficient proof for you to claim CEUs.

For general information about Continuing Education for Canadians and International participants, please click here.  

Who should attend: Therapists, psychologists, counsellors, social workers and other healthcare professionals working with adults with insomnia in non-sleep specialty settings and wish to learn how to treat insomnia when their clients have comorbid conditions such as depression, anxiety, trauma or chronic pain.

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