Dr. Michael A. Tompkins is a licensed psychologist and board-certified in Behavioral and Cognitive Psychology. He is co-director of the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy. He serves on the Advisory Board of Magination Press—the children’s press of the American Psychological Association—and the editorial board of the Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Practice. He specializes in the treatment of anxiety disorders and insomnia in adults, adolescents, and children. He provides training and consultation in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for insomnia and other sleep problems.
We recently spoke with Dr. Tompkins to learn more about him, professionally and personally.
Beck Institute: Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today. We would love to hear about any upcoming Beck Institute training projects you are particularly excited about.
Dr. Tompkins: I am deeply flattered to serve as a faculty member of the Beck Institute. It is my most cherished professional relationship, and I’m thrilled whenever I’m asked to participate in the Institute’s important mission.
I’ve participated in several projects for the Beck Institute—most recently, I was asked to develop adaptations of the CBT Essentials I & II courses when working with youth.
This was fun because it reminded me of the importance of conceptualization when working with young people. CBT with youth is a downward developmental extension of CBT with adults.
