About

About Christina Gantcher

Christina was trained by Kim West, The Sleep Lady®, in her Gentle Sleep Coach program which is the first and most extensive professional sleep coaching certification program available. The program involves over 80 hours of training, an exam, and participation in case supervision with Kim West, LCSW-C (a.k.a. “the Sleep Lady”) who has been helping tired parents for over 18 years. Clinical supervision and ongoing advanced training are required to maintain certification as a Gentle Sleep Coach. Some of her training topics included:

Basic counseling and child development
Sleep science and behavioral modification techniques
Secure attachment theory
Support for the breastfeeding mother

The training also consisted of lectures from top specialists, including:

Postpartum Depression from Dr. Shoshana Bennett, author and leading specialist on Postpartum Depression
Medical Conditions and Sleep Apnea in Children led by Dr. Lewis Kass, Director of Children’s Sleep Center
Sensory Processing Disorders and Sleep by Jodi Jennings, OTLR

The GSC Program also includes an exclusive advanced training series directly centered around how to gently work with babies 4 and 5 months of age. This program which she has also completed consists of over 40 hours of instruction and mentorship.
Some of the curriculum training topics include:

In-depth knowledge of the delicate nature of infants under 6 months of age and how to consider all elements of their well-being
Current evidence-based guidelines and instruction on how to evaluate the 4-6-month-old child and family and determine if the child is ready for sleep coaching
Gentle sleep solutions and strategies that are effective and developmentally appropriate for the younger baby

This specialty training is designed to give coaches the knowledge, education and all the tools and resources they need to successfully work with families of babies 4-6 months of age in a safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate manner.

Christina’s educational background includes a B.A. in Comparative Literature from the University of Massachusetts and an M.Sc. in Psychoanalytic Developmental Psychology from University College London. She is a mother of two boys and lives in New York City with her husband, Mike Gantcher. She had the good fortune to work with Kim West personally when her older son had sleep difficulties.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is your philosophy about sleep coaching?

Christina is a licensed and certified Gentle Sleep Coach. Her background in Developmental Psychology and her training with Kim West, best known as The Sleep Lady, helps her incorporate a philosophy that respects the child-parent attachment in relation to sleep coaching. She became a Gentle Sleep Coach because she believes it offers parents a gradual and gentle way to help their child learn the skill of sleep. Every child and family is unique and she takes into account the entire household dynamic when starting a new sleep plan.

Is my child the right age for sleep coaching?

When children are under 4 months old she offers a sleep shaping consultation to discuss sleep basics and how to set a healthy sleep foundation for your baby. At 5 months old she offers gentle sleep coaching to help support you in the process of implementing a new sleep plan, if the baby and family appear ready. Christina works with families of children up to and including 6 years old. If you have an older toddler or preschooler, don’t lose heart- it’s never too late to establish good sleep habits!

Is there crying?

Christina will tell you YES, there will be some crying, as in any change of habit. Tears of frustration and change need to be understood and managed through. Christina strives to MINIMIZE crying as much as possible, using various techniques and supporting parents through the process of coaching their children. More often than not, Christina will ask you to STAY WITH YOUR CHILD as he or she learns the new skill of falling asleep.

How do your coaching packages work?

All families Christina works with complete a thorough intake form that details their child’s and family history and current schedule. During the initial consult, she reviews sleep science, their history form in detail and she crafts a new sleep plan together with parents. Then, she helps parents put the new plan into action and speaks on the phone with the parents on a scheduled basis.

Most families she works with choose the 1-hour consultation and 4 follow up coaching session package. When dealing with more complicated situations, particularly when you are working on more than one child, you will need additional coaching sessions in order to fully support you throughout the process of implementing a new sleep plan.

Do you work on weekends?

Christina offers consultations Monday through Friday 9 am to 2 pm with 1 evening consult a week at 6 pm. She also works one weekend morning doing coaching follow-ups for families who have just started their sleep plans. Most coaching follow-ups consist of a quick daily email check-in when parents send her their sleep log, or when they are scheduled to speak for approximately 15-20 minutes.

If you have any other questions, please contact Christina

“When my son was a toddler I was tired all the time and I needed support to teach him how to sleep. I then became passionate about helping other parents with their children’s sleep challenges.”

Christina Gantcher, M.Sc.