Régine Denesle, M.Sc. Biomedical, Psychotherapist and Clinical Consultant
“Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT-I) is the best approach, recognized by sleep experts worldwide. This therapy involves several demanding instructions, and the challenge is often to get people to apply them. However, if people follow them to the letter, their sleep will improve in 90% of cases. The biggest obstacle to this treatment is still the lack of access to qualified therapists.
Expert
In Quebec, Régine has long been instrumental in raising awareness of the importance of sleep and the management of chronic insomnia among adults, founding the Insomnia Clinic at the Centre d'études du sommeil de l'Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal in 2000. Prior to this, this major sleep research center had no resources dedicated to insomnia, despite it being the most common sleep disorder. As soon as they started, they found themselves with huge waiting lists, which is still the case today, because the demand for insomnia treatments is just that widespread. From the very beginning, Régine was able to see the population's lack of access to treatments. Much of her career has been devoted to improving access, from setting up group sessions to treat more patients to co-founding the HALEO virtual clinic.
Co-founder of HALEO
The story of HALEO began when Philippe Stenstrom and Bradley Smith approached Régine. Their primary objective was to set up a project, which would soon become HALEO, with the aim of disseminating CBT-I outside the major centers. Indeed, with the exception of HALEO, this videoconferencing treatment for insomnia is only available in larger cities such as Montreal and Quebec City. Her clinical experience at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal has enabled her to lay the foundations of clinical knowledge, as well as recruiting therapists.
Recruitment and training
She has now recruited close to fifty therapists at HALEO, in all Canadian provinces, and trained them in the latest practices in the treatment of various sleep disorders. Nearing retirement now, after many years devoted to making treatments available for various sleep disorders, Régine now devotes much of her time to continuing sleep training for psychologists and therapists, running simulations with them and improving treatment standards.
Achievements at a glance:
- Founded the insomnia clinic at Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur-de-Montréal.
- Co-foundation of the HALEO virtual clinic.
- Recruitment and ongoing training of therapists.
