Dealing with Insomnia and Nightmares with Therapy | Tips and Ideas for Everyone

In this episode of The Therapist Thrival Guide, Miranda is joined by Emily Turcotte, LICSW, a therapist with deep expertise in trauma, anxiety, and depression. We unpack the complexities of insomnia—what it is, why it often becomes chronic, and how it frequently shows up alongside things like PTSD, depression, and generalized anxiety.

Emily walks us through how she supports clients struggling with sleep using a mix of approaches, including DBT and CBT. We talk through practical interventions—from managing racing thoughts and rumination to addressing nightmares and building relaxation into the nighttime routine. Emily also touches on the importance of sleep studies and how factors like substance use can complicate things.

If your clients are struggling with insomnia (or you’re noticing patterns in your caseload), this episode is full of helpful takeaways and clinical strategies.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & guest intro
00:29 – Emily’s specialties & therapy approaches
01:12 – What is insomnia, really?
02:50 – How insomnia ties in with anxiety, trauma & depression
07:37 – Using DBT skills to support better sleep
19:21 – Nightmares, grounding, and relaxation
27:17 – Final thoughts

OUR HOST:
Miranda Barker, MSW, LICSW, has been practicing as a therapist for several years. She previously worked as a child protection investigator, adoption social worker, case manager, and the Director of Brand Content at Ellie Mental Health. Follow her on LinkedIn:   / miranda-barker-msw-licsw  

The Therapist Thrival Guide is a podcast by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ellie Mental Health⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. We want to move therapists beyond surviving and into the realm of thriving by covering all the things that graduate school didn't teach you! This mental health podcast is hosted by Miranda Barker, LICSW and a rotating cast of seasoned therapists. Each episode features a therapist speaking to their areas of expertise to help us learn how to thrive as therapists.⁠⁠

Ellie is a national mental health brand organized around community-based outpatient mental health clinics. It all began with a single office in St. Paul, Minnesota back in 2015, and has expanded to an explosive number of locations nationwide after franchising our model in 2021. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠