Dr. Barth's practice is full, nonetheless, he responded to my email and spent time on the phone with me and even offered a follow-up should I have future need. I appreciate his engagement and advice very much! read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Barth for 6 weeks now and I cannot say how happy I am. Initially, I was depressed and had been taking sleeping pills (Zolpidem) for 2 years. After being on sleeping pills for so long, I decided to try CBT and I will admit, I didn't think it would work on me since we all tend to think negatively from time to time. I chose Dr. Barth based on reviews and decided to make the 90 mile drive to Oakland. After my second visit, we continued to meet via FaceTime which was a PLUS! For me, my insomnia and depression improved after approximately 3-4 weeks after my initial session with Dr. Barth. Prior to meeting him, I had been weaning off Zolpidem for a week. I am now able to fall asleep fairly fast and stay asleep for most of the night, drug-free!!! In the past, I would try to wean off on my own, or not take my pills but I had no success. I would fall asleep around 0300AM and wake up before 0600AM. The first few weeks were tough since part of the "program" requires you to go to bed at a certain time (or try), and wake up at the same time every day. The $ I spent on my therapy is worth the results! I am now back to doing my daily activities and sleeping about 50% better. This is the first time I seek treatment with a Psychologist, but overall, my experience with him has been a positive one in many ways. My therapy is coming to an end soon, but I feel confident that I will continue to progress and apply what I have learned during this process. If you find yourself desperate, or to the point that you are ready to start therapy for depression, insomnia or other issues you may be facing, do it with someone who has years of experience. Before choosing Dr. Barth, I googled many therapists who specialized in CBT. I searched for 4 months. I live in Modesto which is a fairly large city, and many therapists are in my area, but based on reviews or first impressions I got visiting other websites/reviews I decided that if I was going to spend my time and money on therapy, I wanted to put my trust on the best one out there. Like most of us, I didn't have the extra money to be spending visiting therapists that I felt may not be the best fit for me. I mean no disrespect to any professionals in this area, but in the times we live now, most of our costly purchases or investments we make, are based on reputation or reviews. read more

I worked with Dr. Barth in the summer of 2020 when I was having particularly bad problems with insomnia. I've had insomnia for years, and had previously been on two different medications for sleep and didn't want to take that route again. I met with Dr. Barth for a few sessions of CBT-I. He is very kind, thoughtful, and had a lot of really concrete suggestions for me that have continued to help me with my sleep. I'll be honest, it was pretty rough at first because you have to do some sleep restriction, but sticking with the program did pay off. Meditation and addressing some of the things that were making me unhappy with my work life were two of most effective changes I made. I'm happy to say that over a year later, I rarely have problems with waking up in the middle of the night, I am sleeping much better, and I have a better attitude about my sleep. I highly recommend working with Dr. Barth if you are interested in CBT-I. read more

I met rick after I did my search on the internet for a therapist who specializes in Insomnia. I am 38 years old and suffered from Insomnia for over 20 years. I always resisted to take any sleeping meds and my insomnia got worse as I got older and I realized I had to seek for a therapist. The day I met Rick, I slept very well. He assured me it could be cured as long as I follow his instructions. I was hesitant because I suffered for a along time and I doubted that it will be managed in a few weeks. He completely educated me on sleep on the first two sessions, that by it self eliminated all my anxiety associated with sleep and all the negative sleep thoughts. Once we completely finished with the treatment, I requested half an hour session a month for about three months to make sure that I manage my sleep. I can sleep very well and wake up rested. Rick is very funny, easy to work with and very professional. He encouraged me to practice meditation after we finished with the treatment. I am sleeping well and I cannot thank him enough. I think you will be very pleased with his treatment approach and his personality. And I highly recommend him to any one looking for affordable and yet effective treatment. read more

After five or six meetings with Rick, I have the tools I need to manage the long standing struggle I've had with insomnia. For the past 15 years or so, I've had chronic insomnia that has limited me and seriously affected my emotional and physical well-being. I've done many kinds of therapy and bodywork, hoping for a solution, and I found it here. I'm now sleeping well most nights and not worrying about it when I don't. I feel comfortable going out in the evening because I know that I can sleep and be well enough rested to function. I've even learned that not sleeping is OK too, and that I can move ahead with my life even if my sleep isn't optimal. The process can be challenging, but for anyone who's struggled with insomnia and is ready to do some work to get past it and move on, I highly recommend working with Rick. He's a sweet man and a capable, supportive and caring therapist. This is one of the best investments of time and money I've ever made. read more

I have known Rick since graduate school, for over 25 years. I can assure you that you will feel immediately comfortable with Rick. He has an easy-going, accepting personality that invites anyone who knows him to feel at ease and reveal what is most troubling. He is warm, incredibly empathic, and has a good sense of humor. Above and beyond these personal qualities, he takes his work very seriously and has been very helpful to me in consultations regarding clients struggling with many clinical issues. When I think of referring a client with substance abuse or sleep disorders, Rick is always the first person I think of. You will be in excellent hands. Signed, Steven Kanofsky, Ph.D. read more

Rick still rocks! Don't know where my review went, so here it is again. And I agree with Robert R's review just posted on 5/14/2010. Clearly, Rick knows his stuff. If things aren't going right for you, I'd say it's worth your time to call Rick Barth. At minimum you'll get some advice from an expert who will call you back and talk with you for free. That phone call with him really is a great way to see if he can help you feel a lot better. read more

I came to Dr. Barth seven months ago after weeks of barely sleeping. My acute insomnia had been sparked by a intense backpacking trip and it spiraled out of control. I was only sleeping 3-4 hours/night and the more I tried to sleep, the less I could. I emailed Dr. Barth in desperation. He was highly responsive and first did a phone session with me. He was incredibly soothing and knowledgeable. I saw him only for a few sessions and gained the confidence in my body's natural sleep mechanisms. Dr. Barth is very compassionate, smart, flexible, and responsive. If you are not sleeping, it is worth the money! Do your research - CBTi is the best proven treatment for insomnia and Dr. Barth is an expert! read more

I worked with Rick on a daily basis for over 10 years (he was the Program Director and I was the Medical Director of the Chemical Dependency Program at Kaiser Hayward). We treated the same patients, and I saw him interact with very unhappy and troubled people day after day. He listened, he empathized, and he helped people move on with their lives. He's very easy to talk to, very patient, and he always seemed to understand what people needed to deal with their problems. read more

After suffering from insomnia for over twenty years I came to a point where I knew all of my own personal "techniques" for sleeping were growing ever-more useless. Was referred to Dr. Barth and when I read from his website that patients can expect positive results within 3-5 sessions I was dubious. Surely this was some kind of snake-oil? After going to 6 sessions with Dr. Barth, I can absolutely say that his approaches and techniques work. Everything he does, and has you follow, is based on research, but it is certainly a team effort. It requires your own personal discipline for the treatment to succeed. You must prepare yourself that it will get worse before it gets better. Why? Because all of the habits/behaviors I had being using to cope with insomnia were removed. I was left in a raw state. 20 years of habits removed in the first week? It was tough. But then, lo and behold, I slept. I slept like I hadn't since I was young. Now, all of my previous ineffective habits/behaviors are gone and in their place is an actual working system. I sleep. Like I was naturally meant to. Of course, I'm not "cured" as this will always be a work in progress to some degree, but I no longer feel helpless. I feel like a new human. read more

Dr. Barth is an excellent therapist. He has a relaxed demeanor and is very easy-going to talk to about all the issues that led to my sleep insomnia that I had been struggling with for many years. Dr. Barth is very patient and helped me recognize some important conclusions in my life that cause my sleep problems as well as introducing a structured framework for tracking my sleep. I am looking forward to continuing to apply the tools that Dr. Barth gave me going forward in my life. read more

In 2015 I was 27 working in medical device sales, making tons of money, had everything I pretty much ever wanted-I had life by the balls. Generally speaking I'm a type A, hyper active, energetic and have a high stress job. It wasn't until recently tho that I uncovered that I live with a general anxiety disorder. Looking back, I can recall plenty of different anxiety related episodes throughout my life and specifically, things that I have been anxious about that have plagued me for days weeks and even months (tests, flying, even sexual performance etc). But none ever really negatively affected or impacted my life. I live pretty full throttle: I ride motorcycles, surf, live for camping and the outdoors yada yada and out of nowhere in late 2015 I started experiencing sleepless nights while visiting a girl I had just started dating in LA. The first weekend I spent with her I didn't sleep for two nights in a row, and we were drinking heavily (doesn't help)-it was so bizarre but I shrugged it off and went on to sleep great as always at my house in San Francisco after. The next time I went and saw her the same thing happened, I didn't sleep for an entire weekend. This time it freaked me out and I started to get in my head about it. You can see where this is going... I started to dread going to see her knowing and fearing I wouldn't sleep much leaving me totally blown out and unable to enjoy the honeymoon phase of a new relationship with somebody I was head over heels for. Long story short, it basically ruined our relationship and the sleeping thing spiraled out of control. By mid 2016 I was a complete mess, single again and wanting to meet someone but just flat out tired and miserable all the time and sleeping only 2 to 3 hours a night if I was lucky, taking Xanax and experimenting with different over-the-counter sleeping meds. Somehow I managed to not get full-blown addicted to any of it but it really ransacked my life for a couple years. I was coping and barely hanging on. I even took 6 months off to try and sort it out, no one (physicians included) ever really pressed me on cBT-this is my biggest regret. Immediately following New Years this past year I was a mess after a bender weekend and hardly any sleep. I came home strung out from anxiety and lack of sleep and was in tears curled up in a ball on my couch. In terms of treatment you name it I've tried it: acupuncture, different kinds of therapists, benzo's, eastern medicine, Western medicine, meditation, hypnosis (never tried antidepressants). I really did my best to avoid CBT, which as it turns out is absolutely gold standard in care for this type of scenario. I'm furious and saddened that none of the other specialists I had seen had really pushed me to try this, instead I wasted so much time and money on other treatments. As it turns out insomnia (for the lost part) is more akin to a phobia than it is a disease or mental disorder. It's a completely irrational fear! It is literally all in your head. I cannot tell you how comforting it was to learn that. Enter Dr. Barth. I found him literally on yelp and he almost immediately put me on sleep restriction which actually isn't as bad or terrifying as it sounds. He has served as a master educator and sounding board for the last couple months and while I haven't had the quickest rebound (I've been told that some patients will start seeing huge improvements in as little as 5 visits) and mine took a little bit more than that, but you cannot put a price on getting sleep every night without having to take pills for it. I'm not sleeping eight hours like a log as I did back in my mid 20s, but I'm getting 5 to 6 hours of decent to good sleep almost every night and he has helped me rewire my head: my behavior and thought patterns around sleeping have both really changed a lot. Like I mentioned I've seen a couple other therapists and with each one at some point or another I always wound up getting the impression that they were pushing different treatments etc. which made me feel like they were just trying to keep me on the hook and keep making money, Dr. Barth could not be more opposite - honestly he's the one now claiming I don't need to come as often because of my improvements! So refreshing, I could not recommend him more highly and I wish you luck on your own journey, if I can pull out of a hole of insomnia, you can too. read more

Rick is a great therapist. He's incredibly experienced (he was the head of substance abuse counseling at Kaiser Hayward for over 10 years and also coaches doctors how they can improve communications with patients. ) he's easy to talk to, very real, practical down to earth and has a great sense of humor. Top recommendation! read more

Dr. Rick was a HUGE help for me. I had had problems with insomnia - on and off - for over 2 years. In the past, when I was having trouble sleeping, I just took my sleeping pills. A few months ago finally decided to stop, and do something about it. I had read the book earlier - Say Good Night to Insomnia, and the CBT-I approach really resonated with me. I found Dr. Barth on the list of professionals certified in this methodology. Thank goodness I did!! After calling him and scheduling an appointment, I ALREADY started sleeping better. After the 1st appointment by whole perception of insomnia changed - I felt so much more empowered and totally capable of solving my problem. Long story short, I stopped taking sleeping pills and I'm getting very good sleep most nights. Dr. Rick is very helpful, professional, empathetic and generous with his time. When I started a new job last week, I had a few nights of bad sleep. I let the doctor know, and he called me the very next day. He reminded me of the right attitude to sleep and healthy sleep behaviors - just what I needed to hear. Completely brilliant. If you are looking for solid, proven help with your sleep - this is the right place. read more

Dr Barth is one of the most helpful therapists I've ever met. He has a stellar reputation as a CBT sleep therapist. He is kind, extraordinarily generous with his time, and he just doesn't quit until he's either helped you or connected you with the kind of help you need. In my son's case, which is complicated by other medical issues, he did a full intake, consulted with two of my son's doctors, phoned across the country to speak with an expert colleague, talked us through three very difficult weeks, wrote a report, and then found us someone who specializes in the particular interaction between sleep and my son's other medical condition. If you're having difficulty with sleep, you can count on Dr. Barth to help and support you. read more

After struggling with insomnia for about a year and trying everything, I finally came to Dr. Barth. His methods for dealing with insomnia changed my life. I am now regularly sleeping well, and when I don't sleep great I have learned to not stress about it. He is a competent and compassionate therapist, and is very easy to talk to. I highly recommend him. read more

I visited Rick after struggling with insomnia for about 6 months. He was very understanding and patient. He accomodated my busy schedule and was quick to respond to any late night breakdowns! I am now sleeping much better, and as the previous reviewer stated on the nights I do have issues I have learned it is not the end of the world. I highly recommend Rick if are you having any long term issues with sleeping. read more

My insomnia started after my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer this fall, shortly after our wedding. The emotional and physical demands on me were unfathomable. I didn't have a normal sleeping night for 4 months in a row, and even after doing all the normal sleep hygiene recommendations, my sleep still hadn't improved. I know 4 months is not that long, but given the circumstances, I was an absolute mess. My health was suffering, I was barely making it through my days, and I was still trying to work and care for my husband at the same time. I was desperate to change my sleeping without the use of sleeping pills. I finally found Dr. Barth. He was incredibly compassionate and understanding of my situation. I was very nervous about my ability to commit to sleep restriction; I had tried once using an online program but I couldn't complete it on my own. Dr. Barth was very encouraging and convinced me to start it again. The first week of sleep restriction was absolute hell. I was allowed 5.5 hours in bed but I only slept about 4 hours a night. On the third day of sleep restriction, my husband had to be taken to the emergency room for severe back pain. I thought there was almost no way I could cope with this little sleep and the constant crises around me. After my husband was treated and discharged, I called Dr. Barth and he reassured me that it was normal to feel 'like hell' and I should keep at it. I did, and I finally had a breakthrough where I sleep for 4 hours in a row, the first time that had happened for months. I kept with it, and overall my sleep has improved dramatically. There are still some blips here and there, but overall the trend is upward. I am now in bed for about 7 hours and worry much less about sleep. I am able to be so much more functional and emotionally present. I just want people to know that if I was able to do sleep restriction while my husband is in hospice care, and while I am working, and dealing with a great deal of emotions and logistics, then anyone can do it. Dr. Barth was extremely patient in answering all my many questions about sleeping and extremely warm in our conversations. I cannot thank him enough for his help and for helping me to believe that Cognitive Behavior Therapy work for Insomnia. I know that I will still need to work on this for some time, but I know that I couldn't have kept going the way that I was feeling without sleeping. I highly recommend Dr. Barth and CBT for insomnia. read more