Sleep Psychologist
Christine Mason, PhD, DBSM is a health psychologist board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine. She provides evidence-based behavioral treatment for insomnia, circadian rhythm concerns, PAP adjustment, and other sleep problems, from the Atlanta area and by telehealth where she is authorized to practice.
Patient language and professional language
Most people who search for a sleep therapist are not looking for a particular credential. They are looking for someone who can actually treat the sleep problem. “Sleep therapist” is everyday search language rather than a formal professional title, and no board certifies it.
The clinical field behind that search is behavioral sleep medicine: the assessment and treatment of sleep disorders through behavioral, cognitive, and circadian methods rather than medication. It is delivered by licensed clinicians, most often psychologists, who have completed specialized supervised training in sleep.
Dr. Mason is a health psychologist board-certified in behavioral sleep medicine (DBSM). Describing her as a sleep psychologist is accurate patient facing language. “Sleep therapist” describes what people search for, not a credential she holds.
Scope
Medical sleep medicine diagnoses and treats sleep disorders medically: sleep testing, devices such as PAP, surgical referral, and medication. Behavioral sleep medicine treats the behaviors, thinking patterns, and circadian timing that cause and maintain sleep problems.
Some sleep concerns require evaluation by a sleep medicine physician, sleep testing, or both before or alongside behavioral treatment. Assessment includes screening for those conditions, and referral or coordinated care is arranged when the clinical picture warrants it.
Related reading: what a sleep psychologist does, CBT-I compared with sleep hygiene, and how to find a qualified CBT-I provider.
Common questions
A sleep psychologist is a licensed psychologist with specialized training in sleep who assesses and treats sleep disorders using behavioral, cognitive, and circadian methods rather than medication. That includes chronic insomnia, delayed and advanced sleep-wake phase, shift work and jet lag, difficulty tolerating PAP therapy, nightmares, and the behavioral side of hypersomnia and narcolepsy.
“Sleep therapist” is common search language rather than a formal credential. There is no certifying board that issues the title. People searching for one are usually looking for a psychologist or another appropriately licensed behavioral health professional with specialized training in the behavioral treatment of sleep disorders.
Behavioral sleep medicine is a defined clinical subspecialty focused on the behavioral, cognitive, and circadian mechanisms that cause and maintain sleep problems. It has its own board certification, the DBSM, which requires documented supervised clinical experience and a certifying examination.
Cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) is the recommended first-line treatment for chronic insomnia in adults. It combines sleep restriction or compression, stimulus control, cognitive work on sleep-related thinking and effort, arousal down-regulation, circadian alignment, and relapse prevention. Most courses run four to eight sessions.
Chronic insomnia, circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorders, PAP and CPAP adjustment and adherence, sleep concerns across pregnancy, postpartum and menopause, pediatric and family sleep, nightmares, behavioral support alongside medical treatment for hypersomnia and narcolepsy, sleep medication tapering coordinated with the prescriber, and sleep problems that limit athletic performance and recovery.
A sleep medicine physician diagnoses and medically treats sleep disorders, orders and interprets sleep testing, and manages devices and medication. A sleep psychologist treats the behavioral and circadian mechanisms of sleep problems. The two roles are complementary, and many patients benefit from both.
No. Medication is prescribed and managed by your physician. Behavioral treatment is often used alongside medication, and CBT-I methods are commonly established before a physician-led reduction of sleep medication.
When the clinical picture suggests sleep-disordered breathing, a central disorder of hypersomnolence, significant movement during sleep, or another condition that requires objective testing to diagnose. Assessment includes screening for these, and a referral for medical evaluation is made when the presentation warrants it.
Whenever behavioral treatment alone would be incomplete or inappropriate: suspected or diagnosed sleep apnea, suspected narcolepsy or idiopathic hypersomnia, medication decisions, and complex medical or psychiatric contexts. With your written consent, care is coordinated with your treating clinicians.
Yes. Behavioral sleep treatment translates well to telehealth because it relies on history, sleep diary data, structured procedures, and weekly review rather than physical examination. Care is available where Dr. Mason is legally authorized to practice; ask about your state before scheduling.
A thorough assessment first, including sleep history, sleep diary data, screening for other sleep disorders, medical and medication context, schedule, and circadian timing. Treatment then follows a defined plan with measurable endpoints, weekly review of your own sleep data, and a planned conclusion with relapse prevention.
Most clients complete approximately six to eight weekly visits. Some need fewer; others benefit from additional care or occasional booster visits. The right number depends on your concerns, medical context, and response to treatment.
Adults who cannot sleep despite good sleep habits, people whose sleep timing does not fit their life, those struggling to tolerate PAP therapy, women navigating sleep change across the lifespan, families, shift workers and frequent travelers, and athletes whose recovery is limited by sleep.
Location and telehealth
Sleep & Change Specialists is based in the Atlanta area and provides behavioral sleep medicine care by telehealth in states where Dr. Mason is authorized to practice. Because licensure requirements change, availability is confirmed for your state before scheduling.
If care is not available where you live, or the practice is not the right fit, the provider directories on the Sleep Clinic page can help you identify another qualified clinician.
This page is educational and does not constitute medical advice or establish a clinical relationship. Treatment outcomes vary between individuals. If you are experiencing a medical or psychiatric emergency, contact emergency services.