I have been working in the cognitive-behavioral therapy field for 25 years now, doing psychotherapy or supervision or teaching, so my approach is always first to get good data about the nature of a client's problems as well as their strengths. This helps me understand the most relevant patterns of thought and behavior that we need to examine and possibly modify.
This often involves uncovering various cognitive, behavioral, or contextual life patterns that the client may be unaware of that are (oops!) keeping the insomnia going or, even more ironically, making it worse. With the client as partner we then explore alternatives that are more likely to get clients that better sleep that they'd like.
Strongly encouraging clients to notice things about themselves without judging themselves, I often use humor and metaphor to help clients better understand themselves and where they might want to make changes. I explain why I'm doing or asking certain things, so that the process of therapy is never a mystery to clients. I also encourage clients to give me feedback as we go along so we can make sure we're addressing well the questions, concerns, and issues you may have.
In many cases where clients are having difficulties sleeping due to anxiety, depression, and/or bad dreams, I've also helped them address those issues more successfully.
Kuehlwein, K.T. (1992). Working with gay men. In A. Freeman and F. Dattilio (Eds.). The Comprehensive Casebook of Cognitive Therapy (pp. 249-255). New York: Plenum.
Kuehlwein, K.T. (1993). A survey and update of cognitive therapy systems. In K.T. Kuehlwein & H. Rosen (Eds.). Cognitive Therapies in Action: Evolving Innovative Practice (pp.1-32). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kuehlwein, K.T., & Rosen, H. (Eds.) (1993). Cognitive Therapies in Action: Evolving Innovative Practice. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kuehlwein, K.T. (1996). Interweaving themes and threads of meaning-making. In H. Rosen & K.T. Kuehlwein (Eds.). Constructing Realities: Meaning-Making Perspectives for Psychotherapists (pp. 491-512). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Kuehlwein, K.T. (1998). The cognitive therapy model. In R.A. Dorfman, (Ed.). Paradigms of Clinical Social Work, vol. 2 (pp. 125-148). New York: Brunner/Mazel.
Kuehlwein, K.T. (1999). Kuehlwein’s response to the case of Joe. Cognitive & Behavioral Practice, 6.
Kuehlwein, K.T. & Gottschalk, D. I. (2000). Legal and psychological issues confronting lesbian, bisexual, and gay couples and families. In F. W. Kaslow (Ed.), Handbook of couple and family forensics: A sourcebook for mental health and legal professionals (pp. 164-187). New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Kuehlwein, K.T. (2000). Enhancing creativity in cognitive therapy. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, Special Issue: Creativity in Cognitive Therapy.
Rosen, H., & Kuehlwein, K.T. (Eds.). (1996). Constructing Realities: Meaning-Making Perspectives for Psychotherapists (pp. 491-512). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Rosen, H., & Kuehlwein, K.T. (Eds.) (2000). Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, Special Issue: Creativity in Cognitive Therapy.
Kuehlwein, K. T. (2002). The cognitive treatment of depression. In G. Simos (Ed.). Cognitive-behavior therapy: A guide for the practising clinician. East Sussex, England: Brunner-Routledge.
Kuehlwein, K. T. (2002). A nonAA’s opinion. In The AA Grapevine¬ (December). pp. 7-8. New York: AA Grapevine.
Please see this link for a short video about me and my approach to therapy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6PGXTRO7wmk
USA2401 Pennsylvania Ave, Suite 1C43 Philadelphia, PA 19130
