Sleep Health and Psychology on Lockdown—Yelena Blank, Ph.D.—Clinical Psychologist and Sleep Expert

Clinical psychologist and sleep expert, Yelena Blank, Ph.D., discusses sleep health and her approach to helping those who suffer from a variety of sleep and psychological disorders.

On this episode, you'll learn the following:

• What type of patients Dr. Blank sees on a regular basis in the Bay Area, and how the tech industry and companies can play a role in the development of sleep issues, as well as contribute to sleeping problem and mental health solutions
• What type of approaches and practices Dr. Blank implements in addition to cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (e.g. mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT))
• How the recent coronavirus and subsequent quarantine is affecting people's routines, psychology states, and sleep health, and how Dr. Blank's practice is acclimating to the change

When Dr. Blank graduated from college with a degree in psychology, she wasn't sure how she wanted to apply what she'd learned. She decided to take a couple of years away from school to determine what exactly she wanted to do, and it was during that time that she encountered the world of sleep health and medicine, as well as the way in which trauma, PTSD, depression, and anxiety can affect sleep health. She was fascinated by it all, and decided that's what she wanted to pursue.

She's currently a licensed clinical psychologist in the San Francisco Bay Area who provides sleep therapy and online events using evidence-based practices and tips combined with a nonjudgmental and collaborative approach to addressing her clients' challenges. She discusses insomnia, the ways in which she can fill a gap in treatment for those with sleep apnea, circadian rhythm sleep disorder, shift work sleep disorder, and the fallacy that being a "night owl" is somehow inherently "bad."

She also touches on the ways in which the recent quarantine for coronavirus is affecting many of her patients, and how she's helping them use this time to their advantage. Press play to hear the full conversation and check out https://www.yelenablankphd.com/ to learn more.