Health Blog

Joanna Hogan is a CBT therapist and sleep specialist who runs a CBT clinic and sleep clinic at Springbank Clinic.  She brings to our clients her expertise from over 10 years working in NHS psychological services and insomnia services.

Even the best of sleepers can struggle to have a good night’s sleep from time to time.  This can be triggered by relationship difficulties, work or exam stress, anxiety, low mood, shift work, hormonal change, particularly the menopause, pain or illness.  Most patches of poor sleep pass within a few days or weeks but for some a bad patch can turn into a longer-term problem of regularly struggling to fall  asleep, stay asleep or waking up too early.  

My sleep clients typically come to me when they feel like they’ve tried everything else.  Unfortunately, unlike the other challenges we can be faced with, the

harder we try to sleep well, the less well we are likely to sleep.  In sessions we look at the day time and night time habits, thoughts and feelings that get in the way of having a good night’s sleep and help address these.

My NHS experience in sleep includes working within psychological services (IAPT) to train and supervise other therapists on sleep issues, run sleep groups and work with clients to overcome their sleep issues. I have also worked for an NHS Insomnia Unit within UCLH running sleep groups and working 1 to1 with clients with complex sleep issues including insomnia and nightmares.  I use CBT for insomnia techniques because they have an excellent success rate – over 80%  but I also enhance my sleep work with Compassion-Focussed Schema Therapy, relaxation techniques, EMDR and Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT).   I work closely with Consultant Psychiatrist & Sleep Physician colleagues at Guys and St Thomas’s, and make referrals where needed for sleep studies. 

So how do we improve our sleep?   I work with client’s to look at the behaviours, thoughts and emotions, that get in the way of having a good night’s sleep and work with my clients to support them in making changes to improve their sleep.  Even clients with sleep complicated by physical or emotional circumstances can find that they are able to improve the quality and the quantity of their sleep.

Many of my clients when they get in touch will have worked really hard at their sleep hygiene, have read many articles on sleep and had competing advice from friends and family.   What we do in sessions can feel very different to that.  We will look at patterns of activity in the day and evening, and stress levels but we will also look at the times you are getting into and out of bed and what you are doing when you can’t sleep.  You will then have me on your side as you make the changes to support and encourage you and helping you overcome any difficulties.

Do get in touch with Joanna if you would like to find out more.  You can contact Springbank Clinic or visit Joanna’s website joannahogancbt.co.uk