Consultation for Providers Learning Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia or for Nightmares
Overview
Providers who attend a formal training for CBT for insomnia or for nightmares may find themselves wanting support as they learn to implement these interventions with clients who are also likely experiencing a range of co-occurring behavioral health concerns. In an effort to support providers and to disseminate these interventions, Dr. Pruiksma is offering group consultation for licensed clinical providers and supervised trainees who have attended a formal training in CBT for insomnia or for nightmares (specifically Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy [ERRT]), either in-person or through the web-based provider training at www.cbtiweb.org.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)?
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is well established as the first-line treatment for the management of chronic insomnia as indicated by practice guidelines published by several organizations (i.e., the National Institutes of Health, the American College of Physicians, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense [VA/DoD]). CBT-I is a multi-component treatment that is designed to help individuals develop healthy sleep habits to alleviate insomnia and learn to manage sleep over the long term.
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Nightmares: Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT)?
Although research examining behavioral treatments for nightmares is more limited than for CBT-I, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine position paper for the treatment of nightmare disorder in adults states that a cognitive behavioral therapy called Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT) “may be used for the treatment of PTSD-associated nightmares” (p. 1041; and a similar approach called Imagery Rehearsal Therapy [IRT] is recommended). ERRT is a trauma-focused, multi-component treatment that incorporates components of CBT-I and treatment for PTSD and to reduce the frequency and severity of nightmares.
Consultation Format
Consultation will be conducted via video teleconference in a group format with 4-10 consultees who are learning to implement CBT-I, ERRT, or a combination of the two approaches.
Qualifications of the Consultant
Kristi Pruiksma, PhD is an Associate Professor and licensed clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Her clinical and research work focuses on providing treatment, conducting clinical research, and supporting dissemination of evidence-based treatments for sleep disorders and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In her role, she has served as a principal investigator, research therapist, supervisor, and trainer for the STRONG STAR Research Consortium and the Consortium to Alleviate PTSD (strongstar.org) which are multidisciplinary and multi-institutional research consortia funded by the U.S. Departments of Defense (DoD) and Veterans Affairs (VA) to develop and evaluate the most effective early interventions possible for the detection, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and related conditions in active-duty military personnel and recently discharged veterans. Projects have included randomized clinical trials examining CBT-I, ERRT, a combination of CBT-I and ERRT, and sequencing sleep treatments with PTSD treatments among active duty military personnel.
Dr. Pruiksma has received intensive training in three distinct areas of expertise including (a) Group and individual Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for combat-related PTSD with intensive supervision by the developer of the therapy, Patricia Resick, PhD, ABPP, (b) Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Nightmares (i.e., Exposure, Relaxation, and Rescripting Therapy) with intensive supervision by Joanne Davis, PhD, one of the developers of this intervention, and (c) Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) under the supervision Daniel Taylor, PhD, CBSM, ABSM, and previous supervision and training by Richard Bootzin, PhD, and Patricia Haynes, PhD, three of the world’s experts in CBT-I. Dr. Pruiksma has authored or co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters related in these fields and is a featured therapist on the web-based provider training for CBT-I, cbtiweb.org. Dr. Pruiksma also has several years of experience providing consultation to providers.
Fee
At the current time, the fee for consultation is $400 for weekly consultation for 4 months ($25 per consultation session).
Sign me up!
Interested providers contact Dr. Pruiksma at pruiksma@uthscsa.edu.
