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Melissa E. Milanak PhD

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Rank
  • Associate Professor
College
  • College of Medicine
Department
  • Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Academic Focus
  • PTSD Disorders, Treatment of PTSD, Anxiety and Sleep Disorders, Facial Affect Recognition and Emotional Processing
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Biography

Melissa E. Milanak, PhD  

Dr. Melissa Milanak is a licensed clinical psychologist and an Assistant Professor in the Education and Training Division and Clinic Coordinator for the Sleep and Anxiety Treatment and Research Program (SATRP) as well as the Director of Development & Alumni Relations and Associate Director of Continuing Education in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at MUSC.  She received her doctorate in Clinical & Community Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, completed her internship through the Charleston Consortium at MUSC, and completed a two-year NIMH research postdoctoral fellowship at the National Crime Victims Research and Treatment Center (NCVC) at MUSC. Her current work focuses on the nature of, etiology, and treatment of PTSD and comorbid sleep disorders as well as examining how sleep can play a role in the onset, maintenance, and/or prevention of PTSD. She also has conducted significant research examining the relationship between PTSD symptoms factors and the processing of emotional information, both in the USA as well as in Northern Ireland. Dr. Milanak also specializes in providing evidence-based treatments (e.g., Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) for sleep disorders including insomnia and anxiety disorders and also has significant clinical experience providing treatment for anger management and other emotional processing/regulation issues. Dr. Milanak supervises clinical trainees in the SATRP, supervises PGY-3’s in CBT techniques, is the Assistant Director of Resident CBT Training, and serves as one of the Faculty Advisors for the Medical Student Psychiatry Interest Group (SPIG).