Talks

Public and Professional Lectures

Interview on Mysteries Decoded (the CW) hosted by Jennifer Marshall, August 2022 (Season 02, Episode 05, "Sleep Demons")

Public lecture for the Ratio Organization of Popular Science, Sofia, Bulgaria (September, 2023)

Public lecture for Mensa's Annual Gathering in Baltimore, MD (July 2023)

Public lecture for the Ratio Organization of Popular Science, Sofia, Bulgaria (July, 2021)

Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Church Hall, Washington DC (February, 2022)

Q & A after a public lecture for The Ratio Organization of Popular Science, Sofia, Bulgaria (September, 2019)

Public lecture for Profs and Pints, DC Comedy Loft and Bier Baron Tavern (June 2019)

Public lecture at The Ratio Organization of Popular Science, Sofia, Bulgaria (August, 2018)

Interview on The Shocking Truth (Reelz TV) July, 2018 (Season 02, Episode 06, "A Nightmare on Elm Street")

Public lecture at The National Science Foundation (NSF) for the National Capital Area Skeptics (February, 2017)

Colloquium at Goldsmiths, University of London (November, 2016)

Interview on National Geographic's "The Secret History of UFOs" (sleep paralysis segment), August 2012

I conduct research, give talks, and/or publish on:

Unusual and Rare Psychological Disorders
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
Sleep and Anxiety Disorders
Personality Disorders
Professional Issues in Psychology
19th Century Continental Philosophy (e.g., Nietzsche, Kierkegaard)
Anomalistic Psychology
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Some publications can be accessed on Research Gate or Google Scholar profile.

Upcoming and Recent Talks / Presentations:

Sharpless, B.A. (2025). Kink or Disorder? How Psychologists Think About Sex and Sexual Disorders. A link for more info and tickets can be found here.

Lecture, February 25th, for Profs & Pints, Penn Social/Little Penn Coffee House, Washington, DC.
Lecture, February 11th, for Profs & Pints, The Graduate, Annapolis, MD.
Lecture, February 10th, for Profs & Pints, Hilton, Fairfax, Virginia.
Lecture, February 6th, for Profs & Pints, Guilford Hall Brewery, Baltimore, MD.

Sharpless, B.A. (2025). Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques.
(Two-part online workshop for the clinical education program of Alma)

Workshop, February 17th
Webinar, February 3rd

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, November 13th). Insomnia 101. Private lecture for The Collective, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. 2024 Public Lectures for my latest book, Monsters on the Couch:

Lecture, October 16th, Monsters on the Couch: The Sequel. Skeptics in the Pub Greenwich, Star of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.
Lecture, October 15th, Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Skeptics in the Pub Cambridge, Blue Moon Pub, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Lecture, September 22nd. The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Carl Sagan/Ann Druyan theater, Center for Inquiry (CFI) West, Los Angeles, CA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, September 17th). Understanding Insomnia. Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Penn Social/Little Penn Coffee House, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2024). An Introduction to Psychodynamic Therapy.
(Three-part online workshop for the clinical education program of Alma)

Case Discussion, August 26th
Workshop, August 22nd
Webinar, August 5th

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, July 14th).  Reflecting on Narcissism: A Look at the Myth, Reality, and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Crooked Run Fermentation, Sterling, VA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, July 10th).  Reflecting on Narcissism: A Look at the Myth, Reality, and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Guilford Hall Brewery, Baltimore, MD.

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, April 17th).  The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Triple Crossing Fulton Brewpub, Richmond, VA

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, April 14th).  The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Guilford Hall Brewery, Baltimore, MD.

Sharpless, B.A. Talks on Kink or Disorder? How Psychologists Think About Sex and Sexual Disorders.

Lecture, March 26th, for Ratio Organization of Popular Science, Sofia Live Club, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Lecture, February 14th, for Profs & Pints, Guilford Hall Brewery, Baltimore, MD.
Lecture, February 13th, for Profs & Pints, Penn Social/Little Penn Coffee House, Washington, DC.
Lecture, February 12th, for Profs & Pints, Triple Crossing Fulton Brewpub, Richmond, VA
Lecture, February 4th, for Profs & Pints, Crooked Run Fermentation, Sterling, VA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2024, January 23rd). The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories. Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Penn Social/Little Penn Coffee House, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. Book release activities for Monsters on the Couch:

Lecture, October 31st, It Came from Within. Profs & Pints, DC, Penn Social/Little Penn Coffee House, Washington, DC.
Lecture, October 24th, It Came from Within. Profs & Pints, Richmond, Triple Crossing - Fulton Brewpub, Richmond, VA.
Lecture, October 21st, Clinical Lycanthropy: The Real Werewolves (and Were-Gerbils) Among Us. National Capital Area Skeptics (NCAS), Morella Library, Bethesda, MD.
Lecture, October 5th, Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Skeptics in the Pub Greenwich, Star of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom.
Lecture, October 4th, Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Skeptics in the Pub Essex, The Woolpack, Chelmsford, United Kingdom.
Lecture, October 3rd, Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Skeptics in the Pub Brighton, Grand Central Brighton, Brighton, United Kingdom.
Lecture, September 27th, Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Ratio Organization of Popular Science. Sofia Live Club, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Lecture, July 8th, Monsters on the Couch: The Real Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. MENSA's Annual Gathering (National Meeting), Baltimore Inner Harbor Hilton, Baltimore, MD.

Sharpless, B.A. (2023 October 28th). Training the Next Generation of Clinicians and Researchers (Round Table Discussion with Drs Ulrike Dinger, Nili Solomonov, Kevin McCarthy, Sigal Zilcha-Mano, & Katie Aafjes Van Doorn), Festschrift for Professor Jacques Barber. Adelphi University Garden City, NY.

Sharpless, B.A. (2023 September 8th). Treatment Options for Recurrent Isolated Sleep Paralysis. Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine Early Career Consultation (Online Webinar).

Sharpless, B.A. (2023, May 16th).  Reflecting on Narcissism: A Look at the Myth, Reality, and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Graduate Charlottesville Hotel, Charlottesville, VA.

Sharpless, B.A (2023, May 12th). Sleep Paralysis: Historical, Psychological, and Medical Perspectives. The Annual Jefferson Sleep Medicine Symposium. Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2023, April 16th).  Reflecting on Narcissism: A Look at the Myth, Reality, and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Metrobar, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2023, February 19th). Kink or Disorder?  Public lecture for Profs and Pints, Metrobar, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2022, September 16th).  Psychodynamic Therapy Techniques. Online workshop presented through the American Psychological Association's Compact Webinar series. Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2022, August 13th).  Are We All Conspiracy Theorists? Lecture for Metropolitan Washington MENSA (Regional Meeting), Reston Sheraton Hotel, Reston, VA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2022, May 31st).  Personality Disorders 101.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Church Hall, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2022, April 11th).  The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology (EPPP): Old Questions and New Data.  Grand Rounds presented for the Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2022, February 15th).  "Kink" or "Disorder"? A Look at How Psychology Approaches Unusual Sexual Behaviors.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Church Hall, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2021, January 18th).  Reflecting on Narcissists: A Look at the Myth, Reality, and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Church Hall, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2021, September 21st).  The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Church Hall, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2021, July 28th). The Examination for Professional Practice in Psychology. Colloquium for the Mid-Atlantic Internship Consortium, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2021, July 20th).  Narcissism. Ratio Organization of Popular Science. Kino Cabana, Sofia, Bulgaria.

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, October 23rd). The Horror Within: The Real-Life Psychological Disorders Behind your Favorite Movie Monsters.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, August). EPPP Scores and Demographics. In. B.A. Sharpless’s (Chair) The Examination for Professional Practice In Psychology (EPPP): New Data and Old Questions. Symposium presented at the 128th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, July 23rd).  Reflecting on Narcissists: A Look at the Myth, Reality, and Treatment of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.  Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, May 22nd). The Psychology of Conspiracy Theories. Public online lecture for Profs & Pints, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, March 25th). The Psychological Disorders Behind Horror Movies. Monster Talk (podcast).

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, March 25th). The Psychology Behind Seeing Ghosts (Radio Segment). The Unexplained With Howard Hughes (TalkRADIO, UK).

Sharpless, B.A. (2020, April 2nd ***Currently postponed***). Some Scary Things that Can Happen in the Bedroom: Isolated Sleep Paralysis and Exploding Head Syndrome. Colloquium to be presented at the Department of Psychology, University of Lorraine, Nancy, France.

Sharpless, B.A. (2019, October 17th). Terror on the Couch: Psychological Disorders and Horror Movies. Public lecture for Profs & Pints, Social Circle Bistro at the Cambria Hotel, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A., Turner, M., & Boyd, B. (2019, October 1st). EPPP Outcomes and Test-Taking Strategies for Graduate Students of Color. Webinar presented to APAGS, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2019, September 24th). Bizarre Psychological Disorders II: From FoMO to Frotteurism. Public lecture for Profs & Pints, DC Comedy Loft and Bier Barron Tavern, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2019, September 17th). Weird(er) Psychological Disorders: Sex, Death, and Amputation. Ratio Organization of Popular Science. Sofia, Bulgaria.

Sharpless, B.A. (2019, June). Isolated Sleep Paralysis and Exploding Head Syndrome: Two Understudied, but Clinically-Significant Parasomnias. Colloquium presented at the Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg, PA.

Sharpless, B.A. (2019, June 11th). Bizarre Psychological Disorders: An Encore Presentation. Public lecture for Profs & Pints, DC Comedy Loft and Bier Barron Tavern, Washington, DC.

Sharpless, B.A. (2019, April 30th). Bizarre Psychological Disorders. Public lecture for Profs and Pints, La Pop, Washington, DC.

Klikova, M., & Sharpless. B.A. (2019, April). Characteristic Symptoms and Hallucinations in Isolated Sleep Paralysis: A Two-Site Study. Poster to be presented at the 27th annual meeting of the European Congress of Psychiatry, Warsaw, Poland.

Sharpless. B.A. (2018, November 29th). Isolated sleep paralysis and exploding head syndrome: Two understudied yet clinically-important parasomias. Colloquium at the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Sharpless, B.A. (2018, August 23rd). Freud in 2018? REALLY?   Ratio Organization of Popular Science. Sofia, Bulgaria.

Sharpless, B.A. (2018, August 21st) Weird Psychological Disorders . Ratio Organization of Popular Science. Sofia, Bulgaria.

Reelz TV / Bell Network (2018, July 13th), The Shocking Truth, Season 2, Episode 6 (A Nightmare on Elm Street - Segment on Brugada syndrome, sleep paralysis, and sudden unexpected nocturnal death syndrome), July 13th, 2018.

Sharpless, B.A. (2017, October). Recurrent isolated sleep paralysis and exploding head syndrome. In. B.A. Sharpless’s (Chair) Parasomnias: Recent Advances in Etiology, Assessment, and Treatment.  Symposium at World Sleep 2017: A joint congress of the World Association of Sleep Medicine and the World Sleep Federation, Prague, Czech Republic.

Sharpless. B.A. (2016, November). The original Nightmare: The psychology and mythology of sleep paralysis. Colloquium at the Department of Psychology, Goldsmith’s University of London, Greenwich, London, UK.

Sharpless, B.A. (2016, November). Disorders of sleep and wakefulness (Program Chair). Day 1 of content at the 2016 Sleep Summit, Greenwich, London, UK.

Sharpless, B.A. (2016, February). Do we REALLY need psychodynamic therapies in 2016? Paper presented at the Psychotherapy Training Program, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

Sharpless, B.A., & Zimmerman, J.A. (2015, August). Exploding head syndrome. In. B.A. Sharpless (Chair), Strange Happenings in the Night: The Phenomenology and Treatment of Parasomnias. Symposium conducted at the 123rd annual convention of the American Psychological Association, Toronto, Canada.