Dr Melissa J Ree
Clinical Psychologist
BSc(Hons) MPsych (Clinical) PhDMelissa sees adults
Main areas of practice
Hello and welcome, I'm Dr Melissa Ree, a clinical psychologist and academic researcher with a special interest in helping people achieve healthy sleep. Much of my work includes:
- treatment of Insomnia
- sleep anxiety
- stress and burnout related insomnia
- sleep medication dependency
- menopausal insomnia
- treatment of Orthosomnia
- supporting shift workers with poor sleep
- treating circadian rhythm disorders: delayed and advanced sleep phase
- helping people to understand their sleep through our Comprehensive Sleep Assessment
- treating parasomnias such as chronic nightmares
- supporting the management of excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue
- helping people get going with treatment for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA)
- providing community workplace talks and seminars on healthy sleep and what to do when it goes wrong. See our talks and media engagement page for further information.
- teaching at university level and for health professionals: Insomnia and management, behavioural sleep medicine principles.
My main specialty is in the psychological management of adults with Insomnia and sleep difficulties. I've had a special interest in the field of sleep and insomnia since 2002.
I use evidence based treatments such as Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
I will ask you to have an active role in determining your goals and the direction treatment takes. After most sessions you will be given something to read, or something to write/think about, or together we might suggest trailing a new strategy or way of approaching things. Implementing new strategies can be challenging and time will be spent in sessions helping you to find ways to approach things differently. Usually the treatment will not take a lot of time during the week but giving some time to meeting your goals is important for maximising treatment effectiveness.
In terms of my background...I completed a Masters Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. with distinction at UWA in Perth in the early 2000's. I then worked at the University of Oxford as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry. During this time, I worked on a treatment trial of Cognitive Therapy for Chronic Insomnia. Since returning to Perth I've continued to be active in treatment, training, and research into psychological aspects of insomnia, anxiety, and depression. I've published a number of research papers on sleep and insomnia, including being lead on author on the Australasian guidelines for insomnia treatment.
I've worked in both clinical and research roles at private psychiatric hospitals in Perth, and have worked in private practice since 2004. I'm a mum to three lovely children and consult part-time alongside my roles as Clinic Director and Clincial Associate Professor at UWA.
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Further information & podcast appearances:
- Science of Sleep Podcast with Melissa Ree Virgin Active
- ABC's All in the Mind Podcast including a segment with Melissa Sleep and Mental Health
- Mamamia Podcast Fill my Cup: Sleep myths including why you may not need 8 hours sleep.
- Australasian Position Statement on psychological treatments for insomnia in adults, which Melissa is lead author of: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28648226/
- Melissa Ree's research publications including clinical textbook and chapter:
https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=a7dIl4EAAAAJ&hl=en&inst=3028249956058794315
See Melissa Ree's Research Gate profile here (you can find links to the STICSA questionnaire PDF here too): https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Melissa-Ree-2
Contact Sleep Matters
West Perth WA 6005
400 Canning Hwy
Como WA 6152
