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.
1 12, 2017

Cognitive-Behavior Therapy and Harm Reduction for Hoarding Disorder

By |2020-11-10T19:10:15-08:00December 1st, 2017|From OCD to Anxiety, Partner Perspectives|

Hoarding disorder (HD) is a complex condition that affects approximately two to five percent of the population and is a difficult problem to treat. However, researchers have developed a special form of cognitive-behavior therapy that is promising for the treatment of the condition. For those who don't seek treatment, communities have undertaken harm reduction approaches.

1 09, 2017

Responding to Ambivalence in People Who Hoard

By |2020-11-10T19:10:15-08:00September 1st, 2017|Partner Perspectives|

Ambivalence – and a great deal of it – is a typical feature of hoarding disorder. Given the considerable ambivalence of most clients with this condition, clinicians want to take care to avoid inadvertently shutting down the client’s motivation to work on the problem. Here are typical ways clinicians shut down motivation when treating hoarding disorder.

9 05, 2017

Two Willingness Strategies in Cognitive-Behavior Therapy

By |2020-11-10T19:10:16-08:00May 9th, 2017|Partner Perspectives|

Although cognitive-behavior therapy helps many clients with anxiety disorders, the exposure tasks, which are central to overcoming an anxiety disorder, are not easy. Because exposure to anxiety-evoking situations is difficult, attending to your client’s willingness throughout treatment is essential to a good outcome. Here are two standard cognitive-behavioral strategies to enhance willingness.