Anissa Bell, LMFT
Insomnia Treatment & Sleep Therapy in San Diego
Online sleep therapy with Anissa Bell, LMFT.
Evidence-based treatment for insomnia and sleep anxiety.
Licensed statewide in California.
When sleep becomes a nightly struggle, it affects everything.
Wake ups, racing thoughts, and tired-but-wired nights can take over your days, draining focus, mood, energy, and overall quality of life, including work performance. Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia helps your brain relearn sleep.
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Private pay · Lyra accepted · Online throughout California
How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) Works for Chronic Insomnia
Identify Sleep Patterns
We look at your sleep schedule, nighttime habits, and the thoughts that show up when sleep doesn’t come.
Rebuild Sleep Confidence
CBT-I helps calm the nervous system and undo the association between your bed and wakefulness or anxiety.
Reduce Nighttime Anxiety
Over time, your brain relearns how to sleep naturally without forcing, chasing, or relying on willpower.
When Sleep Doesn't Come Easily
If you struggle to fall asleep, stay asleep, or wake too early and cannot get back to rest, you are not alone. Chronic insomnia often becomes a cycle driven by frustration, anxiety, and repeated attempts to force sleep.
The harder you try, the more alert your brain becomes.
Common signs of chronic insomnia include:
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Long wake ups during the night
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Racing or looping thoughts at bedtime
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Worry about how you will feel the next day
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Feeling exhausted but unable to sleep
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I)?
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is the gold standard treatment for chronic insomnia. It is a structured, evidence based approach that helps retrain your brain and body to sleep more consistently.
Rather than focusing on sleep hygiene alone or trying to control sleep, CBT I targets the patterns that keep insomnia going.
CBT I is:
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Skills based and collaborative
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Focused on long term improvement
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Designed to reduce sleep anxiety and nighttime arousal
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Not dependent on sleep medication
A Flexible and Supportive Approach to Sleep
While CBT I provides the foundation for treatment, therapy may also integrate acceptance based and mindfulness informed strategies when helpful. These approaches support learning how to respond differently to nighttime thoughts, physical tension, and the urge to force sleep.
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The goal is not perfect sleep. The goal is less struggle and steadier rest over time.
What Treatment Looks Like
CBT-I is a structured, time-limited treatment designed to help your brain relearn how to sleep.
Sessions are active and collaborative, focusing on skills you practice between sessions, not just insight or coping tips.
Most clients complete CBT I in approximately six to ten sessions. Treatment is active and practical, with tools you use between sessions to support more consistent sleep.
What you can expect:
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Weekly or biweekly online sessions
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Simple and structured sleep tracking
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Clear goals and pacing
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Individualized and supportive care
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Secure telehealth platform
How Sleep Affects Daily Life
Poor sleep affects more than nights. It shapes how you feel during the day, how patient you are with others, and how much you are able to enjoy your life.
This may show up as low energy, irritability, difficulty concentrating, or feeling disconnected from yourself or others. These effects can impact work, relationships, parenting, caregiving, or simply your ability to feel like yourself again.
Learn more:
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Sleep problems affecting work performance →
Meet Anissa Bell, LMFT
I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in California with specialized training in the treatment of insomnia and sleep anxiety. Since 2019, sleep disorders have been a central focus of my clinical work.
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I understand how isolating and frustrating chronic insomnia can be, especially when you are doing everything you can to improve it. My approach is structured, compassionate, and focused on helping you build steadier sleep without increasing pressure or self blame.
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I provide evidence-based sleep therapy for adults struggling with chronic insomnia and sleep anxiety. Treatment focuses on stabilizing sleep while addressing the patterns that keep the nervous system stuck in a cycle of hyperarousal.
Fees and Insurance
Services are provided on a private pay basis. I also accept Lyra benefits for clients who have access through their employer. For PPO plans, a superbill can be provided for possible out of network reimbursement. Coverage and reimbursement amounts are determined by your insurance provider.
Ready to Improve Your Sleep?
If insomnia is affecting your sleep or your days, help is available. A brief consultation can help you decide whether cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia is the right fit for you. If you’re in California and struggling with chronic insomnia or sleep anxiety, CBT-I may help.