Spencer Dawson, PhD, HSPP, DBSM
I am a licensed clinical psychologist and am board certified in Behavioral Sleep Medicine. One of the things I like most about my work is being able to help people improve their lives through better sleep. It’s amazing to witness someone go from feeling controlled by their sleep problems to being confident in their ability to improve their sleep and cope with the bad nights that become fewer and fewer.
In addition to practicing at Sleep Health Center, I am on the faculty of Indiana University. Specifically, I am Assistant Clinical Professor and Associate Director of Clinical Training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. In that position, I am responsible for training and supervising doctoral students in the clinical science program.
Education, Training, and Experience
I grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan and went to Albion college to earn my bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Political Science.
Having developed a passion for research, I entered the world of sleep as a research assistant at the University of Michigan Sleep and Circadian Research Laboratory, which was then called the Sleep and Chronophysiology Laboratory. There, I worked on a variety of sleep research studies, mostly funded by the National Institutes of Health, on topics such as sleep and depression, sleep regulation in alcohol dependence, and non-drug treatments for insomnia.
I then earned my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Arizona, working with Dr. Richard Bootzin, a pioneer in the field of Behavioral Sleep Medicine, from 2010 until his death in 2014. During my graduate work, I received clinical training in a variety of settings including the department training clinic, outpatient psychiatry, community mental health, prison, and in research studies. My dissertation focused on better understanding memory during the sleep/wake transition.
My training took me back to Michigan for a pre-doctoral internship at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System. My clinical rotations there included Primary Care Mental Health Integration, Clinical Neuropsychology, and PTSD Clinical Team.
I then completed my training with a postdoctoral fellowship at Northwestern University working primarily with Dr. Jason Ong. In addition to providing behavioral sleep medicine services in the sleep disorders clinic, I worked on several lines of research including 1) treatment of comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea, 2) developing CBT for hypersomnnia, and 3) headaches, sleep-related coping, and insomnia symptoms in women with chronic migraines.
Presently, my full time position is at Indiana University, where I am an assistant clinical professor and associate director of clinical training in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences. In that role, I train doctoral students in clinical assessment and cognitive behavioral therapy, supervise students in their clinical work, direct the CBT clinic, and coordinate with external training sites in addition to various administrative duties.
Professional Credentials
Licensed Psychologist #20043352A, Indiana State Psychology Board (verify)
Health Service Provider in Psychology #20043352B, Indiana State Psychology Board (verify)
Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology #15469, PSYPACT (verify)
Health Service Psychologist #149138, National Register of Health Service Psychologists (verify)
Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine, Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine (verify)
Professional Activities
Professional Memberships
American Academy of Sleep Medicine
American Psychological Association
Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies
Association for Psychological Science
Sleep Research Society
Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine
Professional Service
Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine: Accreditation Committee
Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Task Force
Board of Behavioral Sleep Medicine: At-Large Director
American Academy of Sleep Medicine: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee
Save Standard Time: Board of Advisors