Presenter: Brian Curtis, Ph.D.
Brian Curtis, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and founder of Honest Sleep, LLC, a telehealth-based clinical practice specializing in the assessment and treatment of chronic insomnia and nightmare disorder. Dr. Curtis received a master’s in neuroscience and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Utah. He has over 12 years of research experience, has published 11 peer-reviewed scientific publications in some of the world’s top journals in sleep medicine and neuroscience, and is a member of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Dr. Curtis’s work includes targeting comorbid sleep disruption for individuals diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and major depression. As sleep disruption is transdiagnostic across most mental health concerns, Dr. Curtis is particularly interested in helping fellow mental health providers increase their competence in the assessment and treatment of sleep-related difficulties with their clients.
Presentation Description:
This presentation is for clinicians who want to increase their competence to assess and treat comorbid sleep disruptions in their clients with trauma-related difficulties. By participating in this presentation, you will gain proficiency in the following:
- Describe the functions of sleep, the circadian and homeostatic processes regulating sleep, and how this knowledge informs clinical assessment and treatment.
- Describe diagnostic criteria and implement standard assessment measures for clinically relevant sleep-wake disorders including insomnia, obstructive sleep apnea, and nightmare disorder.
- Describe the prevalence and consequences of sleep disruptions in clients with posttraumatic stress disorder.
- Identify and implement the central components of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I), Imagery Rehearsal Therapy (IRT) for nightmare disorder, and Exposure, Relaxation and Rescripting Therapy (ERRT) for trauma-related nightmare disorder.
- Generate a case conceptualization, individualized treatment plan, and identify when referral to a sleep specialist may be warranted.