Fellowship and Residency Training

SHIP offers a clinical fellowship in behavioral sleep medicine (BSM). The mission of the SHIP program is to extend the reach of behavioral sleep medicine through provision of high quality clinical services that are accessible to a diverse range of patients with complex presentations, to train providers in evidence-based behavioral sleep medicine treatments, and engage in dissemination research.  The SHIP clinical fellowship training program reflects this mission. Our one-year fellowship is housed in the Department of Psychiatry on the main Stanford University campus and is a part of the APA accredited Clinical Psychology Postdoctoral Fellowship Program. The fellowship is accredited by the Society for Behavioral Sleep Medicine and enables trainees to fulfill eligibility requirements for the Behavioral Sleep Medicine Certification exam to become a Diplomate in Behavioral Sleep Medicine (DBSM).

Clinical fellows receive comprehensive professional training.  The core training consists of provision of supervised patient care and attending didactics. Clinical fellows are also have protected time to engage in research or teaching.  Fellows are provided opportunities to co-author manuscripts, submit and present abstracts at scientific conferences, give presentations about sleep topics both in the community and within the academic medical center, contribute to our licensed provider training program, and help develop patient-facing materials. A strength of the SHIP clinical fellowship program its individualized training, designed to meet the specific goals of each of our fellows.  Fellows are encouraged to identify training areas that will allow them to pursue professional goals

Patient care

Supervised by clinical psychologists certified in behavioral sleep medicine (DBSM/CBSM), fellows learn behavioral sleep medicine as it applies to a clinically heterogeneous case load. The majority of patients are adults with insomnia disorder, typically comorbid with other psychiatric, medical, and/or sleep disorders. The program also provides training in behavioral sleep medicine approaches to other sleep disorders, including circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, nightmare disorder, other parasomnias, and CPAP adherence. Our service also provides treatment to children and adolescents; fellows interested in exposure to pediatric behavioral sleep medicine should state this in their application. As the training year progresses, fellows are encouraged to cultivate expertise an interest area within the broader field of behavioral sleep medicine (e.g., circadian rhythm disorders, insomnia with co-morbid trauma/PTSD, women’s health, college-aged populations).  We provide individual treatment to all patients using a flexible case-conceptualization approach to treatment.  While treatment is short-term, there is no session limit or prescribed session-by-session approach, which allows diverse patients with complex presentations to meet their treatment goals.

Didactics

Didactics opportunities cover a range of sleep medicine topics (including those offered off-site at the Stanford Center for Sleep Science and Medicine), as well as those provided to the broader APA accredited Clinical Psychology Fellowship Program. The latter include ethics and professional development seminars that cover topics relevant to clinical fellows (e.g., paths to licensure, academic job searches), as well as a diversity and inclusion seminar. Fellows can also attend lectures offered in the rich academic environment of the Stanford University campus both within and outside the department.  Fellows additionally participate in a weekly BSM reading group that includes chapters from Principles and Practices of Sleep Medicine as well as empirical articles.  Fellows have the opportunity to select and lead several meetings over the course of the seminar year.

Research opportunities

Fellows are encouraged to participate in research related activities in addition to their clinical training. Historically, fellows have taken advantage of these opportunities and have taken a lead on conference abstracts and presentations at professional meetings and participated in preparation of manuscripts using existing data. Archival data from multiple projects are available including RCTs for insomnia comorbid with depression, insomnia comorbid with obstructive sleep apnea, insomnia during the perinatal period, and stepped care approaches to CBT-I.  Additional opportunities may be available in coordination with Dr. Manber’s research collaborators.

Teaching and other dissemination opportunities

Fellows have a broad range of teaching and other dissemination opportunities within our training program.  These opportunities include developing and providing presentations on a variety of sleep topics in both the community and ad-hoc/guest lectures in Stanford courses.  There are also opportunities for fellows to contribute to our licensed provider training program and to development of patient-facing resources.  As a program, we are committed to developing and improving our patient tools and resources.  For example, last year, we developed a nightmare disorder resource, which is now available on our website to both our patients as well as individuals with nightmares who may not be able to access treatment in our clinic due to geographic, insurance or financial limitations.

Lab meetings

Fellows attend biweekly lab meetings.  Once a month, outside speakers present to our group about new research or an emergent areas in the field of BSM (click here for a list of our meetings for the 2024-2025 academic year). In other meetings, lab members take turns presenting on sleep related topics, recent published articles, or projects they are involved in. These collaborative meetings are an opportunity to contribute to each other’s research projects, write joint papers, and design new studies.

Professional development

A significant focus of our training is on professional development.  In addition to the opportunities described above, fellows participate in a bi-monthly BSM focused professional development meetings where they discuss professional identity, private practice, networking, consulting, and other topics identified by fellows each year.  SHIP faculty are active in consulting (the Bay area is rich with opportunities for consulting in tech) and have included fellows in ongoing consulting opportunities based on interest and availability.  Fellows also have the opportunity to meet regularly with a SHIP-affiliated consultant as a way to broaden their perspective regarding approaches to behavioral sleep medicine treatments.

Core Training Faculty

Norah Simpson, PhD, CBSM, DBSM (Fellowship Director)
Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Rachel Manber, PhD, CBSM, DBSM
Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences

Natalie Solomon, PsyD, DBSM
Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science

Other training faculty:
Donn Posner, PhD, CBSM, DBSM, Adjunct Clinical Associate Professor
Britney Blair, PsyD, CBSM, DBSM, Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor

Additional Stanford University Resources

The SHIP clinic is located on the main university campus allowing fellow easy access to the full range of academic and recreational activities offered by the university.  Proximity also allows ease of interaction with the larger group of psychology fellows in the department and at the university at large.

Fellows have access to a wide range of other academic and learning experiences across the university, including full library access.  Additionally, fellows have access to Stanford recreational and cultural activities. 

Another resource for fellows is SURPAS, formerly known as SUPD.  SURPAS is the umbrella organization of all postdoctoral scholars at Stanford. SURPAS' mission is to work with university administration in enriching the lives and the career development of postdocs. SURPAS has an extensive website with resources for prospective and current postdocs and international scholars. SURPAS organizes social and academic events.

We also encourage fellows to explore the following diversity focused groups:

• Postdoc Diversity Advisory Committee
• The Stanford Black Postdoc Association (SBPA)
• The LGBTQ+ Postdoc Group at Stanford
• Stanford Latinx Postdoc Association (SLPA)

Clinical Fellowship Alumni from 2010 to present

(year and current position)

• 2023-2024: Dr. Ben Kovachy, trained with our team during his psychiatry residency, Private Practice, Menlo Park, CA

• 2023-2024: Dr. Nicole Carmona, Psychologist (Supervised Practice), Odette Cancer Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Canada

• 2023-2024: Dr. Kristen Burda, Private Practice and part-time staff at Stanford University, Stanford, CA

• 2022-2023: Dr. Stephanie Claudatos, Clinical Assistant Professor, UCSF, San Francisco, CA

• 2022:2023: Dr. Mandy Zenda, Behavioral Sleep Medicine Psychologist, Montana VA (remote position)

• 2020-2022: Dr. Joshua Tutek, Clinical Assistant Professor, Medical University of South Carolina

• 2020-2021: Dr. Natalie Solomon, Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry

• 2019-2020: Dr. Molly Atwood – Clinical Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University

• 2017-2018: Dr. Nichole Mogharreban – Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry; Washington National Guard; Sleep Psychologist, VA Puget Sound Healthcare System

• 2015-2016: Dr. Elaine Blank – Private Practice

• 2014-2015: Dr. Rie Lebus – Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry, Private Practice

• 2013: Dr. John Peachey – Clinical Psychologist, Camp Pendleton Behavioral Health

• 2012-2013: Dr. Britney Blair - Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry, Private Practice

• 2011-2013: Dr. Norah Simpson – Clinical Associate Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry

• 2010-2011: Dr. Aly Suh – Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Sungshin Women's University (Korea)

• 2008-2010: Dr. Allison Siebern – Consulting Assistant Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry, Director Sleep Health Integrative Program and Neurophysiology Sleep Health Lab, Durham VA Healthcare System.

Research focused fellowships are part of the NIMH funded Biobehavioral Research Training Program (T32MH019938; Schatzberg & Manber co-PIs). This fellowship offers research training aimed to help clinically trained postdoctoral fellows develop skills and experiences to promote their future independent investigative careers in the mental health field.

T32 research fellows interested in behavioral sleep medicine focused research can apply to be mentored by Dr Manber. This 2-year fellowship offers didactic courses, training in preparing and submission of grant proposals (usually career development grants), access to archival data, experience preparing manuscripts, and up to one day a week of supervised clinical training. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Dr. Manber directly to discuss research interests prior to applying.

Research Fellowship Alumni from 2010 to present

(year and current position)

• 2019-2021: Jessee Dietch – Assistant Professor, Oregon State University
• 2016-2019: Lauren Asarnow – Assistant Professor, UCSF
• 2012-2014: Chris Fairholme – (no longer in academia)
• 2010-2012: Sara Nowakowski – Associate Professor, Baylor College of Medicine
• 2009-2011: Rebecca Bernert – Assistant Professor, Stanford Department of Psychiatry

SHIP offers limited opportunities for psychiatry residents to gain experience in behavioral sleep medicine research and clinical work. Interested professionals should contact Dr. Norah Simpson (nsimpson@stanford.edu) to discuss potential opportunities.