The lack of training pertaining to the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders is not uncommon amongst behavioral healthcare providers.  When I am conducting trainings for CDP, few attendees endorse receiving any formal training pertaining to the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders.   However, when asked about the patients that they work with, most attendees indicate the vast majority of their patients have sleep problems.  This critical knowledge gap between training and clinical needs of patients underscores the importance of training in the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders.  In particular, I want to highlight some key points I have taken from my training in this area and have found to be very helpful in my clinical practice, supervision and training.

Various theories of psychotherapy have long highlighted the importance of developing individualized treatment plans developed to meet the idiographic needs of the individual person. Decades of research have also supported the positive impact of patient-provider collaboration, which has yielded benefits to include increased sense of empowerment, autonomy, and satisfaction with treatment (Slade, 2017). Collaboration in treatment has led to improved treatment compliance and engagement, thereby producing enhanced treatment outcomes (Patel et al., 2008).