Martha Tompson

Clinical Program Director (Director of Clinical Training)
Director: Family Development and Treatment Lab

Biographical Sketch

Dr. Tompson received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from University of California, Los Angeles in 1993. She completed an internship at the UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and postdoctoral training at the UCLA Department of Psychology. She joined the BU faculty in 1997.

Research Interests

Dr. Tompson’s research focuses on the role of the family in promoting individual mental health. She has examined adults and children with a variety of mental disorders and their families. She is particularly interested in family processes and family treatment among individuals with depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The goal of this work is to identify strengths and deficits in family systems, which may impact on the course of mental disorders, and to develop programs for helping families cope with these disorders.

Her most recent projects include:

• Designing and implementing family-based treatment for preadolescent children with depressive disorders
• Examining the role of maternal depression and family relationships in the development of depression vulnerability in youth
• Understanding the impact of family psychoeducationally-focused treatment for adults with bipolar affective disorder.

Visit the Family Development and Treatment Lab for additional information.