Relaxation Techniques

Anxious Boy

CBT for Health Anxiety in Children and Adolescents

Posted on by Kelly Foran-Tuller

It is common for kids to have health related worries and fears at different times throughout childhood and adolescence. When they occur sporadically, they are considered normal and tend to resolve on their own. However, for some children and teens, these worries can become overwhelming and significantly disrupt their functioning at home, school, and with friends. In fact,  the American Psychological Association (APA) has reported an increase in health-related anxiety in children and teens since early 2020 when the novel Coronavirus (CoVid-19) outbreak first occurred. A few months ago, we talked about how to talk to your kids about CoVid-19. But how do you know if your child with health-related questions and concerns needs further assessment and treatment?

Continue reading →

CBT for Insomnia

CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I):
How Does it Work?

Posted on by Kelly Foran-Tuller

It’s 3:00 AM and you are wide awake. You’ve been trying desperately to fall back asleep with no success. Your mind is racing with a list of things you need to do when you get out of bed and you try to close your eyes and will your body and mind to sleep.

Anyone who has had difficulty sleeping knows how frustrating it can be to toss and turn, trying desperately to fall asleep. But when does the occasional night of difficult sleep become insomnia?

Insomnia is defined as a sleep disorder in which a person has difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. The condition can be short term or chronic. Up to one-third of patients presenting to a primary care appointment report ongoing difficulties with sleep.

Traditionally, physicians would often prescribe sleeping pills when patients complained of insomnia as a presenting problem.  However, the American College of Physicians now recommends a treatment called Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) as the first line treatment. As trained clinical psychologists with a specialty in CBT, we have had tremendous success using CBT-I.

CBT-I targets the modification of sleep habits, scheduling factors, and misconceptions and unhelpful beliefs about sleep and insomnia. A typical course of CBT-I can be completed in 8 weeks or less. Patients are initially asked to evaluate and understand sleep habits and complete a sleep log. The major components of CBT-I include: sleep hygiene, sleep restriction, cognitive therapy, and relaxation techniques.

Continue reading →