About Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, ABPP

Michael A. Tompkins, PhD, ABPP is a licensed psychologist (PSY13822) and board certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology, co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy, Assistant Clinical Professor at the University of California, Berkeley, Diplomate and Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy, and is a trainer and consultant for the Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior. He is the author or co-author of numerous scholarly articles and chapters on cognitive-behavior therapy and related topics, as well as seven books. Dr. Tompkins treats adults, adolescents, and children with anxiety disorders (panic, worry, phobias, social anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, health anxiety), stress, insomnia, body-focused repetitive behaviors (trichotillomania, skin picking, nail biting), elimination disorders (enuresis and encopresis), and Tourette’s and tic disorders.   For an appointment, call 510.652.4455 ext. 3 To learn more about Dr. Tompkins, visit his profile here.
19 12, 2023

The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Workbook

By |2023-12-19T23:13:03-08:00December 19th, 2023|Books, In the Media|

Evidence-Based CBT Skills to Help You Manage Stress, Anxiety, Depression, and More

Written by a leading expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), this workbook offers powerful, evidence-based skills to improve your mental health, so you can get back to living your life!

Have you been struggling with sadness, worry, stress, or even insomnia? You certainly aren’t alone. […]

31 08, 2023

Stress Less! Weekly Tips for a Calm, Chill Life

By |2023-08-31T18:31:05-07:00August 31st, 2023|From OCD to Anxiety, Mood Matters, Partner Perspectives|

If you’re an athlete, you likely do resistance exercises to strengthen your skeletal and core muscles.

The diaphragm is a muscle too. The diaphragm tightens during inhalation so a strong diaphragm reduces breathing effort and improves your performance.

Alternate nostril breathing is a resistance training technique to strengthen your inspiratory muscles and it’s easy to do.

[…]

15 02, 2023

Stress Less: A Teen’s Guide to a Calm Chill Life – SNEAK PEEK!

By |2023-02-15T21:29:52-08:00February 15th, 2023|Books, From OCD to Anxiety, Teen Topics|

Over the years, I’ve grown to appreciate the real and significant stress that is a part of the day-to-day lives of teens. There’s the stress of exams, college applications, a big game, difficult teachers, difficult friends, and parents who don’t always get it…not to mention the dating and social scenes.

Stress like this tends to build […]

17 12, 2022

5 Tips to Help Teens Complete Therapeutic Action Plans

By |2022-12-17T19:31:19-08:00December 17th, 2022|Books, Partner Perspectives, Teen Topics|

Whether you call them therapeutic homework, action plans, or exercises, these out-of-session activities can help teens in several ways:

  • Action plans help teens repeatedly practice skills in order to build confidence in their ability to apply the skill when needed. Teens understand that they won’t master a skill (doing math problems, skateboarding, playing the piano) […]
10 11, 2022

Stress Less: A Teen’s Guide to a Calm Chill Life

By |2022-11-10T19:22:23-08:00November 10th, 2022|Books, Teen Topics|

Stress Less teaches concrete skills for managing stress and anxiety, organized into common “stress domains” such as family, friends, dating, school, and media.

Let’s get real. Stress is part of every teen’s life — the stress of exams, college applications, a big game, difficult teachers, difficult friends, parents who don’t always get you, […]

12 04, 2021

Anxious? Depressed? Check Out Dr. Tompkins’ Latest Book!

By |2021-04-12T19:22:07-07:00April 12th, 2021|Books, In the Media|

In this workbook, psychologist Michael Tompkins offers evidence-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) skills to help you target and tear down the emotional avoidance barriers that drive your anxiety and depression.

By engaging with the emotions you’ve been seeking to avoid, you’ll learn, “I can handle this feeling.” You’ll also find strategies to help you stay calm during […]

6 03, 2021

The Anxiety and Depression Workbook: Simple, Effective CBT Techniques to Manage Moods and Feel Better Now

By |2021-03-06T20:47:53-08:00March 6th, 2021|Books|

Publication Date: April 1, 2021

Don’t Let Anxiety and Depression Keep You from Living Life to the Fullest.

If you suffer from co-occurring anxiety and depression, you may experience an overwhelming urge to avoid difficult emotions and emotional experiences. The last thing you want to do is kick the hornet’s nest you carry around with you. However, […]