For most of us, summer conjures up the idea of vacation. Rather than thinking of vacation as only a time for leaving behind something stressful or routine, I have come to see it as an opportunity for proactively adding to my treasure chest through real life exposures. Yes, the kind we refer to in Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy.
We reviewed some evidence for the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI) in Part 1 of this article, and began to discuss how clinicians can structure a group, such as components, number of sessions, and session length. Today, let’s follow-up to share some logistics about how to set your CBTI group up for success. Specifically, you’ll want to consider who sends patients to your group, which patients sent are the best fit for your group, group sizing and composition, and how to document your group’s progress, including outcome measurement.
Recently, we at the Center for Deployment Psychology have been receiving a number of consultation requests regarding translating the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI) package to a group setting. If you have been thinking about starting a CBTI group, allow me to increase your motivation and give you some resources to get started.
For the past few years I find more and more people using smartphone apps for professional purposes. I admit that I've been hesitant to give up pen-and-paper for more advanced methods. But I will also admit that there are some really neat and useful apps out there for the mental health professional. I have also been stubbornly resisting electronic change, mainly because I don't want to have to deal with figuring out how to navigate a complicated, non-intuitive application. If you too enjoy electronic simplicity and how it can be applied to your profession, below are two applications specific to individuals who need to better manage anxiety.
If you are local to the D.C. area, you may have recently read an article in the Washington Post about Kristen Beck. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this name, Kristen Beck is the first transgender Navy Seal to share her story via film. Previously known as Christopher, completing 13 deployments and earning commendations, including a Bronze Star, as well as a Purple Heart, Christopher was a force to be reckoned with. This powerful documentary describes her life as Christopher and how she came to be known as Kristen.