Liora Kempler is a registered Psychologist (NSW Psychologist Registration No: PSY0001409689) practising at the Woolcock Clinic and Integrated Sleep Health. She treats adults with insomnia, parasomnias and other sleep disorders, depression and anxiety as well as specialising in sleep during pregnancy and with infants. She also has a PhD from the University of Sydney in the School of Psychology under supervisors Prof Louise Sharpe and A/Prof Delwyn Bartlett. Her PhD project investigated the efficacy of a novel sleep intervention in helping first time expectant mothers better manage the changes and challenges in their sleep, both during pregnancy and as new mothers. Results indicated that although everyone's sleep gets worse in the first 6 weeks after having a baby, women who received the program had better sleep quality and fewer insomnia symptoms at 4 months postpartum that those who had not received the program. Liora has presented her study across Australia including Sydney, Canberra, Perth and Adelaide as well as in Europe. She has recently been awarded the 2016 New Investigator Award at the annual Australasian Sleep Association Conference.  

 

Liora graduated from a Bachelor of Advanced Science with a major in Psychology at the University of New South Wales in 2009. Her Honours thesis findings were published in the journal 'Memory' in 2012. You are welcome to access this paper here. 

 

Following her graduation, she began work as a research assistant at the Woolcock Institute. There, she managed three major studies, resulting in numerous publications. The first investigated cognitive behavioural therapy in improving adherence to CPAP treatment in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. Following this, Liora moved on to work under Dr Nathaniel Marshall of the University of Sydney Medical School. His study was investigating whether Modafinil (Modavigil) could improve daytime impairments in patients with mild-moderate sleep apnea who could not use CPAP treatment. This study acted as a pilot for a larger study which Liora set up, examining the effects of Armodafinil on weight loss and neurocognitive performance in sleep apnea patients who could not use CPAP. 

 

In 2010, Liora began her training to become a registered psychologist through the supervision program at the Woolcock Institute. Over her two years, she gained experience from the Counselling services at Hornsby TAFE, seeing patients across a multitude of fields from vocational counselling to domestic abuse cases, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, cultural difficulties and many more. She was also fortunate to work at the Brain and Mind Research Institute (BMRI), gaining experience in neurocognitive functioning, dementia, Alzheimer's and sleep problems in the elderly. Finally, she began her training in sleep disorders with A/Prof Delwyn Bartlett. Liora was immediately attracted to the field due to its interdisciplinary nature and large varieties in comorbidities that she found particularly interesting. 

 

In her spare time, Liora loves to dance, scuba dive, laze on the beach (or sometimes run) and most importantly travel! Seeing the world and experiencing other cultures with her husband Steve, and daughters Layla and Aria are her happiest times. 

 

Qualifications & Professional Memberships

• Member of the Australian Psychological Society

• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) - University of Sydney

• Bachelor of Science (Advanced) with a major in Psychology - University of NSW, 2009

• Registered Psychologist with the Psychology Board of Australia.

• Member of the Australasian Sleep Association

• AHPRA Registration: PSY0001409689

• Qualified as a Perinatal non-directive counsellor from the Australian Psychological Society.