But sleeplessness is merely a symptom – it’s a somatic messenger carrying reflections of emotional hyperarousal, embodied tension, attachment ruptures, the relentless hum of unprocessed thoughts.

In this two-evening online workshop, Christiane Sanderson—renowned for her work in trauma, attachment, and somatic countertransference—will guide us through an integrated clinical approach to insomnia that moves beyond sleep hygiene or quick fixes. We will explore the hidden architecture of sleeplessness, understand its neurobiological, cognitive, and relational underpinnings, and equip ourselves with practical, multi-modal interventions that address the mind, body, and nervous system.

And in the process, we may recognise echoes of our own exhaustion—the emotional labour, cognitive overload, and tension that we, as therapists, quietly carry long after the day’s final session. This workshop is not only for our clients; it is for us too.

Workshop Overview

Evening 1 – Sleeplessness as a Messenger: Uncovering the Emotional and Embodied Roots

We begin by listening to insomnia as more than a complaint—it is often a signal of what remains unsettled within. This evening traces the journey from restless minds to tense bodies to attachment-rooted wounds, revealing why sleep eludes so many.

1. The Racing Mind: When Sleep Collides with Overthinking
   Clients often tell us they “can’t switch off.” But beneath this familiar refrain lies the intricate interplay of biology, modern stressors, and cognitive entrapment.

• The Neuroscience of Sleep: How cortisol rhythms, melatonin production, and circadian timing are disrupted by stress, anxiety, and hypervigilance.
• Technology and the Wired Brain: The subtle grip of blue light, doom-scrolling, and the 24/7 digital world that keeps the nervous system primed for alertness.
• Cognitive Rumination: The brain looping through worries, perfectionism, and mental checklists—patterns often mirrored in the therapists who hold their clients’ distress.

2. The Restless Body: How the Nervous System Holds the Day’s Tension
   Sleep is not merely a cognitive state; it is an embodied surrender. Yet, for many, the body is braced—tense with unspoken fears, grief, or trauma.

• Somatic Countertransference: How therapists’ own physical sensations often mirror clients’ sleep struggles—revealing what the body knows before the mind can speak.
• Hyperarousal and Hypoarousal: Recognising clients who present as “wired but tired” or emotionally flattened yet physically tense – both states signalling dysregulation.

3. Sleep and Safety: The Attachment Roots of Rest
   Rest requires safety. But what happens when the nervous system has never truly known it?

• Attachment Patterns and Sleep: How early relational experiences shape the body’s capacity to downregulate and trust rest.
• The Loneliness of Wakefulness: Why insomnia is not merely a private frustration but often a re-enactment of emotional isolation – especially for those with histories of neglect, abandonment, or insecure attachment.

Case Vignette 1 – Emma’s Story (Not Her Real Name)
Emma, a 38-year-old lawyer, appears to have it all together – except for sleep. Beneath her polished exterior is a nervous system conditioned to vigilance in a home where emotional expression was met with silence. Her insomnia was not simply “stress”; it was a body that never learned rest was safe.
Through the lens of somatic countertransference, we will explore how Emma’s therapist sensed the tension she could not name and how understanding her attachment wounds unlocked new therapeutic pathways.

Interactive Activity:
“Tuning into the Body” – Participants will reflect on their own embodied relationship with sleep. How does your body hold the day’s residue, and what might it reveal about your clients’ struggles?

Closing into Evening 2:
Understanding insomnia is the first step. Tomorrow, we turn towards practice—exploring how to soothe minds, calm bodies, and gently create conditions for rest.

Evening 2 – From Understanding to Change: Practical Pathways to Rest

Having traced the roots of sleeplessness, we now explore how to restore rest—working across cognition, nervous system regulation, and the emotional landscape of dreams.

1. Quieting the Mind: Cognitive Strategies for Overthinking and Rumination
   Sleep cannot be forced—but we can soften the grip of intrusive thoughts.

• CBT-I for Therapists: Adaptations of cognitive-behavioural strategies to manage bedtime anxiety and mental loops.
• Beyond Sleep Hygiene: Why turn your screen off is not enough—addressing perfectionism, emotional avoidance, and the fear of letting go.
• Mental Boundaries: Techniques to interrupt cognitive spirals and help clients transition from productivity into rest.

2. Soothing the Body: Somatic Practices for Emotional Hyperarousal
   For clients whose insomnia is felt more than thought, the body must also be invited into rest.

• Grounding Techniques: Simple but potent tools to downregulate hyperarousal and anchor clients in embodied safety.
• Accessible Somatic Practices: Breathwork, progressive relaxation, and gentle body awareness—practices that can be integrated without specialist training.

3. Listening to the Night: Working with Nightmares and Recurring Dreams
   When sleep finally comes, it can carry its own disturbances.

• Dreams as Emotional Signals: Viewing nightmares not as pathology but as messages from an overwhelmed nervous system.
• Navigating Resistance: Supporting clients who are reluctant to engage with dreams—offering approaches that are non-intrusive yet illuminating.

Case Vignette 2 – Daniel’s Story (Not His Real Name)
Daniel, a 45-year-old psychotherapist, came seeking relief from chronic nightmares. With no apparent trauma history, his dreams seemed “just bad luck”. Yet therapy revealed echoes of emotional suppression and unresolved grief—exacerbated by the emotional toll of his clinical work.
We will explore how combining somatic regulation with gentle narrative techniques helped Daniel reclaim his nights—and how therapists can support both their clients and themselves in this work.

Interactive Activity:
“Mapping the Sleepless Body” – A guided reflection on where sleeplessness lives somatically—for both practitioners and clients.

Closing Reflection:
The work of rest is not just for our clients. We, too, hold the weight of emotional labour, late-night rumination, and the tension of holding others. This workshop invites us to soften our own resistance to rest—so we can meet our clients from a place of renewal

Who Should Attend?

Psychotherapists, psychologists, counsellors, and mental health professionals working with clients experiencing sleep disturbances. It is also for those of us who find ourselves staring at the ceiling at 2 am, carrying the burdens of our work into the night.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this workshop, participants will be able to:

• Describe the neurobiological and psychological mechanisms underlying insomnia.
• Identify modern sleep disruptors and their impact on nervous system dysregulation.
• Apply CBT-I techniques to manage overthinking and bedtime anxiety.
• Interpret somatic countertransference as a clinical indicator of clients’ sleep-related distress.
• Implement grounding and somatic practices to downregulate emotional hyperarousal.
• Work safely with nightmares and recurring dreams as reflections of emotional distress.
• Integrate cognitive, somatic, and relational tools into personalised interventions.

Why Train with Christiane Sanderson?

With over 30 years of experience in trauma, attachment, and emotional regulation, Christiane is known for combining clinical rigour with human connection. Her insights into somatic countertransference and the embodied dimensions of distress have transformed the work of countless clinicians.

This workshop is not merely professional development—it is an invitation to rethink rest as a foundation for therapeutic presence, for our clients and for ourselves. Join Christiane Sanderson for this vital exploration—book your spot now.

© nscience 2025 / 26