Poor sleep and poor mental health feed each other. Anxiety keeps you up; exhaustion makes everything harder. Our team treats both sides at once using CBT-I, the evidence-based approach that consistently outperforms sleep medication for long-term results. No more melatonin guesswork.
Poor sleep makes anxiety worse. Anxiety makes sleep worse. Depression disrupts sleep architecture. Sleep deprivation deepens depression. PTSD produces nightmares. The nightmares reinforce the trauma response. These relationships are not coincidences. They are well-documented and they are why treating sleep in isolation often fails.
Insomnia, sleep anxiety, nightmares, hypersomnia, and irregular sleep-wake patterns are among the most underrecognized contributors to mental health struggles. Our team treats sleep as part of the full clinical picture, not as a side complaint to address after everything else is sorted out.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia is the evidence-based first-line treatment for chronic insomnia. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, CBT-I consistently outperforms sleep medication for long-term outcomes and is recommended as the first treatment approach for adults with chronic insomnia.
CBT-I is a structured program, typically 6 to 8 sessions, that targets the thoughts and behaviors keeping your sleep broken. It includes sleep restriction (tightening your sleep window to rebuild sleep pressure), stimulus control (retraining your brain to associate bed with sleep), and cognitive work to dismantle the anxious "I have to sleep or tomorrow will be ruined" thinking that makes insomnia spiral.
Sleep hygiene recommendations, no screens, cool room, consistent bedtime, are fine baseline habits. They are not a treatment. CBT-I goes much deeper. Our therapists guide you through a personalized sleep plan, review your sleep diary each session, and adjust the protocol based on what is actually happening. You will have concrete tools after every appointment, not just good intentions.
Work-from-home culture blurs the line between office and bedroom. Federal contracting and tech jobs frequently involve high-stakes deadlines and variable hours. If you are commuting to Tysons or DC, early alarms and late evenings are the norm. All of it creates fertile ground for the kind of learned insomnia that CBT-I is specifically designed to treat.
Our Ashburn practice serves clients across Loudoun and Fairfax counties who know exactly what it feels like to lie awake at 2am running through tomorrow's meeting. We have seen it often enough to treat it well.
When sleep problems are connected to underlying anxiety, depression, PTSD, or bipolar disorder, our integrated team addresses both the sleep disorder and the underlying condition at the same time. If short-term medication support is appropriate, our psychiatrists in Ashburn can discuss options as part of a coordinated care plan. If you want to explore that side, see our medication management page.
Dan addresses sleep difficulties alongside anxiety, depression, and stress, helping clients understand the behavioral and cognitive patterns that keep poor sleep in place and build a plan to change them.
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Cara works with adults whose sleep problems are entangled with anxiety, life transitions, or emotional burnout, using CBT-I principles alongside broader therapeutic support for the full picture.
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Tammy treats insomnia and sleep anxiety as part of a whole-person picture, integrating EMDR for clients whose trauma history is affecting their ability to rest and feel safe at night.
View Profile →Sleep problems rarely travel alone. Our team addresses the full range of conditions that affect rest.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) is a structured, short-term program that addresses the thoughts and behaviors perpetuating poor sleep. Unlike medication, CBT-I produces lasting change, and research consistently shows it outperforms sleep aids for long-term outcomes.
Yes, CBT-I is effective even for chronic, long-standing insomnia. It works by resetting the learned associations between your bed and wakefulness, and by addressing the anxiety around sleep that makes insomnia worse over time.
When sleep disorders are connected to anxiety, depression, or PTSD, our integrated team addresses both simultaneously. Treating the underlying condition alongside CBT-I produces the best outcomes. Our therapists and psychiatrists work together to coordinate your care.
Most people see meaningful improvement within 6–8 sessions of CBT-I. The structured nature of the program means you'll have clear tools and strategies to take home after each session, no indefinite commitment required.
Short-term medication can sometimes help during the initial phase of CBT-I treatment. Our psychiatrists can evaluate whether medication support is appropriate for your situation as part of a comprehensive sleep plan.
Our Ashburn team uses CBT-I and integrated mental health care to help you finally rest. New patients welcome.
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Prefer to call? (703) 724-0200
Same-week appointments available in Ashburn, VA, in person or via telehealth.
