Dr. Shaina Townsend

I'm a licensed clinical psychologist (PhD) with specialized training in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, and I founded the Sleep & Healing Clinic because I believe sleep is the foundation for nervous system regulation — the gateway for healing. Before opening my practice, I worked as a psychologist at the VA, providing evidence-based care to veterans navigating PTSD, trauma, and complex psychological presentations. That work taught me how deeply the body carries its history, and how reliably that history shows up at night.

I'm currently in consultation toward board certification in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (CBSM) and am a founding member of the Sleep Psychology Collective in Arizona.

I work with adults navigating insomnia, sleep-related anxiety, nightmares, CPAP difficulties, circadian rhythm disruption, trauma-related sleep disturbance, ADHD, chronic illness, nervous system dysregulation, and more. I offer individual therapy, a 30-minute focused CBT-I option for milder presentations, and The Rested & Regulated Group — a small-group, nervous system-centered sleep program. All services are via telehealth throughout Arizona.

Sleep is not a behavior to control — it is a state the nervous system enters when it finally feels safe enough to let go. That understanding sits at the center of everything I do.

My work integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) — the first-line, science-backed treatment for chronic insomnia — with polyvagal theory, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), DBT skills, and somatic approaches. I don't apply these as a fixed protocol. I use them as a flexible toolkit, shaped around you and your nervous system's particular history.

I believe the skills we build at night generalize into the rest of life. When we learn to regulate sleep, we are learning to regulate ourselves. That is why I treat sleep not as an endpoint, but as a doorway — into greater capacity, greater presence, and a steadier relationship with your own body.

Our first session is a 90-minute Behavioral Sleep Medicine Evaluation — and it's a conversation, not an interrogation. I'll ask about your sleep history, your patterns, and what you've already tried. I'll also ask about your nervous system: what activates it, what helps it settle, and what it's learned to do at night to protect you. Some of those questions may feel more clinical; others may feel surprisingly personal. Both matter.

By the end of our first session, you will have a clearer picture of what is actually driving your sleep difficulty — not just the surface symptoms, but the deeper patterns underneath. We'll discuss what I'm noticing, review your options, and collaboratively build an initial plan.

Most clients leave the first session feeling heard in a way they haven't been before — and with real clarity about what comes next. You don't need to arrive with answers. You just need to show up.