Have you ever wondered what goes into running Stress Free Psych NP and creating educational content about mental disorders?
Here’s a peek behind the scenes with a view of my (often messy) office:
My workspace isn’t fancy—however, it’s got a few post-it affirmations, some photos, and a view of the trees outside. More importantly, it’s where I develop a lot of the ideas, trainings, and clinical tools I share with you.
And speaking of clinical tools, I want to share about something that comes up constantly in practice: sleep issues.
Sleep ranks as one of the top complaints patients bring to appointments. Unfortunately, managing sleep issues can be incredibly tricky—especially when insomnia connects to trauma, physical health problems, mental disorders, or when the cause just isn’t clear.
That’s exactly why I actively search for tools that can help patients sleep better—without relying entirely on medication.
One of my favorite tools to recommend to other clinicians and my patients is a free CBT-I program developed by the Mayo Clinic.
A Practical, Evidence-Based Way to Help Patients Sleep Better
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, or CBT-I, is one of the most effective evidence-based treatments for sleep issues. However, patients often struggle to access trained CBT-I therapists.
Recently, a student from my Mental Disorders Crash Course shared this Mayo Clinic self-guided CBT-I program with our Mental Health Mastermind community, and it’s been incredibly useful.
This CBT-I program walks patients through strategies to improve their sleep patterns, address racing thoughts at night, and build healthier routines—all without needing a prescription.
Now, I recommend it regularly for patients struggling with insomnia, especially when I’m still working to stabilize underlying mental health symptoms.
Share This Resource with Your Patients
Sleep is a cornerstone of mental health. And this free, structured CBT-I program is one of the most helpful tools I’ve found to support better outcomes.
I wrote a full blog post breaking down how I use this CBT-I tool in practice. You can check it out here. It’s a gem worth bookmarking or printing to have ready for your next appointment with a patient who isn’t sleeping well.
Want more tools like this to help your patients thrive?
- First, check out my blog archive for more practical posts and free resources.
- Next, dive deeper with the Mental Disorders Crash Course, an AANP-accredited, self-paced program built for psych NPs.