Sleep & Insomnia · Brisbane CBD & Online

When you can’t switch off and a good night’s sleep feels out of reach.

Practical, psychology-based support for professionals needing support to manage sleep.

Registered psychologist – support for sleep & insomnia in Brisbane City.

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Poor sleep is rarely just about sleep

A mind that won’t stop. The weight of tomorrow’s work entering your mind the moment your head hits the pillow. Waking at 2am with your mind racing. Or a pattern of stress that’s been running so long that it feels like your body has simply forgotten how to rest properly.

Poor sleep affects everything. Concentration, emotional regulation, and the ability to perform at the level you know you’re capable of. Most people already know this — which is part of what makes lying awake so frustrating. You know you need to sleep. You just can’t.

The good news is that sleep difficulties respond well to psychological support. Understanding what’s driving the problem — and changing your relationship with your thoughts about sleep — may help.

waking up feeling tired

How sleep Difficulties tend to show up for professionals

Difficulty switching off

Your mind is still running through work problems, tomorrow’s tasks, or conversations from the day — long after you’ve left the office.

Lying awake for hours

Getting into bed but being unable to fall asleep, regardless of how tired you feel. The harder you try, the more awake you become.

Waking through the night

Falling asleep isn’t the problem — but staying asleep is. Waking at 2am or 3am with your mind already racing, unable to get back to sleep.

Early morning waking

Waking significantly before your alarm with a sense of dread or anxiety about the day ahead, unable to return to sleep.

Unrefreshing sleep

Getting the usual hours or maybe oversleeping and still waking exhausted — a sleep that doesn’t restore you the way it used to.

Daytime consequences

Fatigue, difficulty concentrating, making-decisions, irritability, and a reduced capacity to manage emotions — making it harder to get through the day.

Many professionals get stuck in patterns which contribute to poor sleep — the dread of another bad night, clock-watching, the effort of trying to force rest. Sleep becomes a source of anxiety rather than restorative. Understanding that cycle is often an important first step.

You might also be looking for

Sleep difficulties often go hand in hand with other challenges. If any of these feels more relevant to what you’re experiencing, there’s more specific information available.

Anxiety

If the thoughts keeping you awake are predominantly anxious ones — worry, worst-case scenarios, or a mind that won’t stop regardless of how tired you are.

Find out more
Burnout

If poor sleep is part of a broader picture of exhaustion and depletion — and you’re struggling to recover no matter how much rest or time away from work you get.

Find out more
Depression

If sleep difficulties are accompanied by low mood, lack of pleasure, loss of motivation, or a persistent flatness that doesn’t lift even after a reasonable night’s sleep.

Find out more

What we work on together

  1. Understand what’s driving it
    We explore what’s maintaining your sleep difficulties — the thoughts, the anxiety, the habits, that are getting in the way of rest. Understanding the cycle is the starting point for changing it.
  2. Change your relationship with sleeplessness
    One of the most counterproductive things about sleep difficulties is the anxiety that builds up around them. Mindfulness helps you change the relationship you have with anxious thoughts.
  3. Address the underlying drivers
    For most professionals, poor sleep is connected to something else — stress, anxiety, burnout, an overactive mind. Working on the underlying drivers may lead to improvements in sleep.
  4. Build sustainable sleep habits
    You already know about sleep hygiene. Learn practical, evidence-informed strategies for improving sleep quality over time — not rigid rules, but approaches change your relationship with sleep.
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Working with a psychologist who understands professional life.

I’m Adam Sadd, a registered psychologist and the founder of Uplift Psychology. With 17 years of combined experience across psychology, coaching, HR, and leadership, I have a practical understanding of how workplace pressure affects how we think, feel, and perform.

I work with professionals navigating anxiety, burnout, self-doubt, and career challenges — people who take their work seriously and want practical support that’s grounded in psychology. My approach is warm, inclusive, and focused on how you think and work.

Registered
Psychologist (AHPRA)

17+ years
combined experience

Board approved
Supervisor

Background in
Psychology, HR & Leadership

→ Learn more about Adam and his approach

Tailored to How You Think and Work

When managing sleep difficulties, I draw on a blend of evidence-based approaches. Here’s some of what you can expect from our sessions.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

A mindfulness-based framework that supports you to manage difficult thoughts and feelings, build psychological flexibility, and take action guided by your values.

Positive Psychology

Rather than focusing only on what’s not working, we build on your strengths, supporting resilience, motivation, and long-term wellbeing.

successful professional
Coaching Psychology

A forward-focused, goal-oriented approach that combines psychological insight with practical strategies. Helping you understand what’s getting in the way and move toward meaningful change.

Rates and Rebates

Session Type

Fee

After Medicare Rebate**

Initial session (50 min)*

$320

$218.45

Subsequent sessions (50 min)

$275

$173.45

*Initial session includes onboarding, psychological assessment, and developing a customised plan

**Medicare rebate available with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. Private health insurance rebates may also apply depending on your level of cover — I can process most funds at time of payment.

How You Can Get Started

Step 1
Book a 15-Minute Intake Call

I’ll call you for a relaxed 15-minute conversation. Ask questions, share what you’re looking for, and decide whether Uplift Psychology feels like the right fit for you. There’s no pressure, and no obligation to commit.

Step 2
Begin With a Clear Plan

In your first session, we’ll clarify your goals, explore what’s happening for you, and introduce evidence-informed approaches. Whether short-term or ongoing, your plan will be tailored to how you think and work.

Step 3
Practical, focused sessions

Focused on what’s important to you. Each session is practical, psychology-backed and solutions-oriented. You’ll leave with insight, strategies, and a clear sense of where to direct your energy.

Initial session $320  ·  Subsequent sessions $275  ·  Medicare & Private Health Rebates Available

A 15-minute conversation. No obligation.

Book Intake call

→ check availability and rates

You’re capable. getting support when you need it doesn’t change that.

A free 15-minute intake call is all it takes to get started. There’s no pressure, and no obligation to commit.

Book intake call

FAQs

Sleep difficulties in professionals are often driven by anxiety, stress, and an overactive mind rather than by the sleep itself. My approach works on understanding what’s maintaining the problem — the anxiety around sleep, the underlying stress, the thought patterns that surface at night — and building practical strategies to address it. Rather than focusing narrowly on sleep hygiene rules, we work on the psychological drivers that are getting in the way of rest.

No referral is needed to book an appointment with me. You can get started by booking an intake call through the client portal.

If you’d like to access a Medicare rebate for your sessions, you will need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. It’s worth noting that your GP will need to provide a referral as part of this process.

That depends on your goals and what you’re working on. Some people come with a specific challenge or decision and find clarity in a handful of sessions. Others prefer ongoing support to build momentum, develop skills, and work through multiple areas over time.

In your first session, we’ll discuss your goals and work out an approach that suits where you’re at — whether that’s something targeted and short-term, or a longer-term plan. There’s no set formula, just a structure that works for you.

As we work together, I can provide guidance on what frequency and duration makes sense based on your progress and goals.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an evidence-based, mindfulness-informed approach. One of the most counterproductive aspects of sleep difficulties is the anxiety that builds around them — the dread of another bad night, the frustration of lying awake, the mental effort of trying to force sleep. ACT helps you change your relationship with that anxiety, reducing the layer of stress that’s compounding the original problem. It’s practical, skills-based approach that can be helpful to manage sleep difficulties in professionals.