I have a full time behavioral sleep medicine practice, specializing in providing non medication treatments for sleep disorders. Those services include: cognitive-behavior therapy for insomnia, light therapy for circadian rhythm disorders, improving patients' experiences with CPAP and assistance with discontinuing sleep medication.

As well, I am a passionate advocate for improving patient access to behavioral insomnia treatments and so I offer training opportunities at Duke and through continuing education workshops to healthcare providers throughout the U.S.  My training schedule is listed in my profile.

In the Air Force, I worked with soldiers afraid to sleep because of nightmares. That's why I helped design a (free) DoD-developed App called Dream EZ.

Now, in addition to neuropsychological assessment, our clinic also offers psychological assessment as well as individual and couples based psychotherapies on a case by case basis. The goal of psychological assessment is really the same as the goal of psychotherapy; to help you better understand yourself, your environment, and the complex interaction of you and your environment.

I work with adults and children helping them to deal with specific problems and symptoms as well as developing positive life goals. I am a practical, straight-forward professional who is committed to those I work with.

My goal is to identify actions that can improve your life and translate these into concrete steps to promote emotional stability and effectiveness in dealing with daily challenges.

Our physical, emotional, and behavioral health are closely connected. Stress can worsen many physical conditions. Exercise is one of the best treatments for depression. Sleep, pain and sexual problems have both physical and psychological components.

Serious medical conditions can wreak havoc on your emotions and your relationships. To me, patient-centered care means treating you as a WHOLE person.

Attending to your behavioral and mental health needs is an integral part of your overall well-being. I strive to provide a supportive and empathic environment and to work collaboratively with you, whether you are thinking about making a behavior change, coping with a chronic illness, or looking for tools and strategies to manage depression and anxiety.

Over the years, particularly witnessing the difficulties my medical patients were having with sleep, I have also developed a passion for sleep disorders and trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I).

I specialize in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT is a skill-building therapeutic approach that teaches people how to respond differently to stress, mood symptoms, and life events such that distress is reduced and effective coping is enhanced. Clients are empowered to develop a skill set to use during active treatment and later in daily life.

Washingtonian Magazine Honors Dr. David L. Kupfer as “Top Therapist”

In the July 2009 issue of the Washingtonian magazine, Dr. Kupfer was listed as a “top therapist” in the Washington, D.C. area for his work in four specialty areas: Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobias, Panic Disorder, and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

The magazine surveyed Washington area mental health professionals, asking them to name the therapists to whom they would send a family member for care. Dr. Kupfer was a top "vote-getter" in all four anxiety disorder categories included in the survey.

I received training in BSM at Johns Hopkins and have worked on interdisciplinary sleep medicine teams.  I continue to regularly conduct CBT-I and lead workshops teaching other health professional about CBT-I.  I assess for the full spectrum of sleep disorders and provide guidance for what other work-up or treatment may be needed.

In addition to treating insomnia, I provide supportive psychotherapy and conduct CBT for generalized anxiety, panic disorder, social anxiety, and depression in adults, including college students.  I also provide treatment for those dealing with relationship or adjustment issues.  I strive to adopt a collaborative coaching style that help my patients achieve their goals.

As a pediatric psychologist who specializes in working with adolescents and kids with medical conditions (including eating disorders and diabetes) my research focuses on helping overweight teens lose weight.

My philosophy, "modern medicine-enlightened" is based on the ability to combine efficacious and proven all-natural treatments with being fully present, compassionate, and understanding when working with clients. I help you improve your sleep by teaching long-lasting and durable sleep skills that will last a lifetime. I strongly value the idea of client-centered, holistic treatment and the importance of focusing on wellness and growth.

I am also the Lead Curator and founding member of the Insomnia Hub. Collaborating with an interdisciplinary George Mason University team, we are developing 'Share CBT-I' ... an ongoing, course-based health communication campaign to create a 'digital bridge' between healthcare professionals and consumers to provide open access to knowledge about 'what works' for insomnia and where to find it.