As a Certified Gentle Sleep Coach (July 2020), I help parents develop a step by step plan to help their children
learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep through the night using gentle, safe and supportive methods.
GSC Program Summary
The Gentle Sleep Coach Program is the first and most extensive professional sleep coach training and certification program available. The program involves over 80 hours of training with a faculty panel that includes 2 medical doctors, a psychologist, an attorney, lactation counselor, postpartum doulas and a family therapist.
Each coach must pass an exam and participate in case mentorship with Kim West, LCSW-C (a.k.a. “the Sleep Lady”) who has been helping tired parents for over 20 years. Clinical mentorship and ongoing advanced training are required to maintain certification as a Gentle Sleep Coach.
Some of my training topics included:
Basic counseling and child development
Sleep science and behavioral modification techniques to help parents of children age 0 to 6 years old
Secure attachment theory
Support for the breastfeeding mother
The training also consisted of lectures from top specialists, including:
Postpartum Depression
by Dr. Shoshana Bennett, author and
leading specialist on Postpartum Depression
Medical Conditions and Sleep Apnea in Children
by Dr. Lewis Kass, Director of Children’s Sleep Center
GERD and Sleep
by Dr. Anthony Loizides, pediatric gastroenterologis