Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia & Sleep Anxiety
Online Therapy for Insomnia, Anxiety & the Overthinking Brain
(California)​
We’ll calm the overthinking, reduce nighttime anxiety, and rebuild trust in your ability to sleep, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and practical tools that fit real life
Evidence-based sleep therapy • 16+ years in practice • Adults in California
What You’re Dealing With (Night & Day)
If sleep has become a source of stress instead of rest, you’re definitely not alone. Here are the challenges I hear about most often:
During the Day
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Wired + exhausted
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Irritable with people you like
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Getting things done with zero margin
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Losing confidence in sleep
At Night
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Replaying conversations
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3–4 a.m. brain on fire
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Sleep math / clock watching
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Dreading bedtime
If you’re wondering whether this is insomnia, sleep anxiety, or both?
Anxiety & Overthinking
When your mind loops through “What if?” scenarios all day, your nervous system never gets to power down. By the time you hit the pillow, you’re already in high-alert mode — even when nothing is happening.
Perfectionism, Stress, & Relationships
The pressure to perform, keep it together, avoid disappointing others, or manage conflict often shows up at night as racing thoughts, tension, and that wired-but-exhausted feeling.
Sleep is often the loudest symptom, but it’s rarely the whole story.
How I Help
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Sleep skills (CBT-I / ACT-I): fall asleep faster, reduce wake-ups, stop fearing bedtime
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Overthinking tools: reduce rumination, calm the nervous system, interrupt “What if?” spirals
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Real-life stress patterns: boundaries, relationship stress, performance pressure that keeps you keyed up
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I help adults with insomnia and sleep anxiety using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), combined with ACT-informed strategies to reduce overthinking and nighttime hyperarousal. This approach focuses on changing the patterns that keep your nervous system on high alert, so sleep can begin to feel more natural and less effortful again.
This work addresses the behavioral and emotional factors that interfere with sleep — such as anxiety, stress, and perfectionistic thinking. It is not a medical sleep evaluation and does not replace care for medical sleep conditions, which may require assessment by a physician.
Sleep & Insomnia Therapy (CBT-I)
Stop treating sleep like a nightly emergency.
Evidence-based CBT-I and ACT-I helps reset your sleep system, break the cycle of nighttime anxiety, and rebuild trust with your bed. Whether you’re dealing with long-term insomnia, early-morning awakenings, or sleep anxiety, we use proven strategies to help your mind and body learn how to rest again.
Anxiety & Overthinking
Train your brain to stand down, day and night.
If your mind spends all day in “What if?” mode, it’s no surprise that bedtime feels impossible. We work on chronic worry, rumination, overthinking, and the stress patterns that keep your nervous system in high alert. You’ll learn tools to calm your mind and body both during the day and at night.
High Achievers & Perfectionism
Recover from burnout without losing your edge
High achievers often push through stress without realizing how much it fuels anxiety and sleep disruption. Together, we work on people-pleasing, performance pressure, boundary challenges, relationship tension, and the patterns that keep you running on adrenaline — even when you’re exhausted.
What It's Like to Work Together
I use a straightforward, structured process so you always know what we’re working on and why.
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Assessment
We start with a deep dive into your sleep patterns, anxiety, and the real-life stressors driving both, so we can clearly understand what’s happening and why.
Collaborative Plan
We build a personalized plan that supports both nighttime symptoms and the daytime patterns that keep your system activated.
Weekly Sessions
We meet regularly to review progress, troubleshoot challenges, and help you gain confidence in your new skills.
Meet Your Therapist
Therapy works best when you feel connected to the person you’re working with. Here’s a little about me and how I show up in this work.
Anissa Bell, LMFT
I’ve been a therapist for more than sixteen years, helping people untangle anxiety, chronic worry, and the stress patterns that keep them on edge. As my work evolved, I developed a strong focus on insomnia and sleep anxiety, combining CBT-I and ACT-I with grounded conversations about the pressures and relationships shaping how you live and how you sleep.
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I’ll help you understand what’s actually driving your sleep and anxiety struggles, build skills that fit your real life, and make changes that feel doable rather than overwhelming.
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As an LMFT, I’m trained to understand how thoughts, emotions, stress, and relationships shape the nervous system and daily functioning. This includes evidence-based treatment for anxiety, behavioral change, and the patterns that commonly contribute to sleep problems.
Ready to Sleep Better & Feel Less Anxious?
You don’t have to keep navigating long nights, anxious mornings, or the stress cycles that keep you stuck. Many people who reach out have already tried “doing all the right things” before coming in.
If you’re in California and ready for support, we can work on both the nights and the days together. Schedule a brief, low-pressure consultation to understand what’s going on and see whether this approach is a good fit.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do you work with adults outside California?
I provide online therapy to adults who are physically located in California at the time of sessions, due to state licensing requirements. If you’re outside California, I’m happy to help you think through next steps or point you toward appropriate resources in your area.
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What if anxiety or overthinking is the main reason I can’t sleep?
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), often integrated with ACT-informed strategies, when anxiety and overthinking are part of the sleep cycle. This approach addresses both nighttime sleep patterns and the mental activation that keeps them going.
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How do I know if therapy is the right next step?
Therapy may be a good fit if sleep problems are tied to worry, stress, or feeling constantly “on edge,” especially if you’ve already tried common strategies without lasting relief. A free consultation can help clarify whether this approach fits your situation or if another path would make more sense.
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This work is often a good fit if you:
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Feel mentally “on” at night and wired during the day
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Are functioning, but exhausted and running on very little margin
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Want a structured, evidence-based approach to sleep and anxiety
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This may not be the right fit if you’re looking for:
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Medication management
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A medical sleep study or diagnosis
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Quick fixes without behavioral or emotional work
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Why this works for your audience:
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Honest without being cold
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Filters without judgment
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Makes the right people feel safer clicking
Therapy services available to adults located in California.