Bio
Dr. GallagherThompson specializes in treatment of late-life depression and anxiety disorders and in working with persons with dementia and their family caregivers. She uses a cognitive/behavioral (CBT) approach and offers both individual and group therapy. She is a board-certified specialist in Geropsychology (psychology of older adults) and is a licensed clinical psychologist who has been in practice for 25 years.
She received her degree in clinical psychology/adult development and aging from the University of Southern California and did her clinical training at UCLA. She has been an NIH funded researcher for the past 25 years and is most noted for her empirical studies on the efficacy of psychoeducational interventions to reduce stress and improve the psychological status of family caregivers of older adults with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia. She has culturally modified, translated, and tailored programs for Chinese-speaking, Spanish-speaking, and Farci-speaking caregivers. In addition she works with an international advisory group to create an on-line web-based program to provide education and skill training globally. She is also a Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy and a recognized Trainer/ Consultant/ Supervisor in CBT. In collaboration with others she is completing 2nd edition of the book: Cognitive/ Behavior Therapy with Older Adults, to be published in 2017.
At present she is Emerita Professor of Research in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Stanford University School of Medicine, and former Director of the Outreach, Recruitment and Education Core of the Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research Center which focuses on recruiting Latino and American Indian persons with dementia and their family caregivers. She has authored about 200 papers in major journals in the field and has co-edited the critically well-received second edition of "Ethnicity and the Dementias" (with Gwen Yeo, senior editor). She serves in several volunteer positions with the Alzheimer’s Association Northern CA/ Northern NV chapter. She is very interested and enthusiastic to find ways to deliver effective mental health care through technology so that services will be available to more persons in need.
Clinical Focus
- Geropsychology
- Psychoeducational programs for family caregivers
- Health/ Behavioral Psychology
- Impact of Diversity on Mental Health
- Designing and Implementing Technology for mental health concerns
- Cognitive/Behavioral Therapy for Late Life Depression
- Psychology
Academic Appointments
-
Professor Emeritus-Hourly, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
Administrative Appointments
-
Senior Fellow, Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health (2015 - Present)
-
Director, Outreach, Recruitment and Education Core, Stanford Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (2015 - 2020)
-
Member, Departmental Community Engagement Advisory Committee, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (2013 - Present)
-
Member, Education Leadership & Integration Committee, Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (2013 - Present)
-
Representative, Faculty Senate of the School of Medicine and Dept. of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences (2013 - 2015)
-
Director, Principal Investigator, Stanford Geriatric Education Center (2010 - 2015)
-
Affiliated Faculty, Global Health Initiative, Stanford University School of Medicine (2009 - Present)
-
Director, Stanford Geriatric Education Center (2008 - 2015)
-
CONA: Committee on Aging. Shapes APA policy as it relates to geriatric mental health, American Psychological Association (2008 - 2010)
-
Affiliated Faculty, Clayman Institute for Gender Research (2004 - Present)
-
Affiliated Faculty, Stanford Center on Longevity (2004 - Present)
-
Director, Education & Information Transfer Core, Alzheimer's Clinical Research Center of Stanford Univ/VA Palo Alto (2002 - 2007)
-
Director, Older Adult & Family Center, VA Palo Alto Health Care Center/Stanford Univ. (2000 - 2007)
-
Core Faculty in Psychology, Stanford Geriatric Education Center (1987 - 2006)
Honors & Awards
-
M Powell Lawton Award for Lifetime Distinguished Contributions to Applied Geropsychology, American Psychological Association, Division 20: Adult Development and Aging (2018)
-
T J McCallum Inaugural Gerodiversity Award, American Psychological Association, Division 12, Section II: Geropsychology (2018)
-
Honorary Professorship (3 year term), School of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia (2017)
-
Honorary Professorship (5 year term), Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia, Norwich, England (2017)
-
Diplomate in Geropsychology, American Board of Professional Psychology (2014)
-
Honorary Doctorate, The Hong Kong Institute of Education (2014)
-
M. Powell Lawton award for distinguished life-time contributions to the field of Psychology, The Annual Meeting of the American Psychological Association, San Francisco (2007)
-
Volunteer Appreciation, Self-Help for the Elderly, a service program for Chinese families (2003)
-
Volunteer Appreciation, Alzheimer's Association, Greater San Francisco Bay Area chapter (2000, 2002, 2004, 2017)
-
Outstanding Mentorship Award, American Psychological Assn, Div. 20 (Adult Development & Aging) (2000)
-
Founding Fellow, Academy of Cognitive Therapy (1999)
-
Diplomate in Clinical Psychology, American Board of Professional Psychology (1997)
-
Outstanding Teacher Award, Stanford Univ. School of Education (1992)
-
Distinguished Alumni Award, UCLA Neuro-psychiatric Institute (1985)
Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations
-
Associate Editor, Clinical Gerontologist (2018 - Present)
-
Co-Editor-in-Chief, Clinical Gerontologist: The journal of aging and mental health (2006 - Present)
-
Founding Fellow, Academy of Cognitive Therapy (1999 - 1999)
-
Editorial Board, Journal of Aging and Ethnicity (1994 - 1996)
-
Editorial Board, Journal of Clinical Geropsychology (1993 - 1995)
-
Editorial Board, Psychology and Aging (1988 - 1989)
-
Editorial Board, The Gerontologist (1987 - 1989)
-
Editorial Board, Journal of Gerontology (1984 - 1985)
Professional Education
-
PhD Training:University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine (1979) CA
-
Board certification, American Board of Professional Psychology, Clinical Psychology (1997)
-
Board Certification, American Board of Professional Psychology, Geropsychology (2014)
-
Ph.D., University of Southern California, Clinical Psychology (1979)
-
Certificate of completion, UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute, pre-doctoral internship (1978)
Community and International Work
-
ACES: Active Caregiving Empowerment Skills, Stanford Neuroscience Center
Topic
stress reduction training for dementia family caregivers
Partnering Organization(s)
Stanford Neuroscience Center Support Services Program
Populations Served
caregivers of persons with various forms of dementia
Location
Bay Area
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
-
PRISM: Partnership in Implementation Science for Geriatric Mental Health, Thailand and Shanghai
Topic
Program development, implementation, and evaluation in Thailand and Shanghai, China
Partnering Organization(s)
University College London & government entities in Thailand and Shanghai
Populations Served
Carers of persons with dementia in Thailand and Shanghai
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
Caregiving in China: Group Workshops and Self-Care Mobile Apps to Improve Coping Skills and mental Health among Dementia Carers in China, mainland China
Topic
Program development for dementia carers in Zhejiang province of China
Partnering Organization(s)
University College, London; Hong Kong Polytechnic Univ; others
Populations Served
Family carers of persons with dementia in China
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
MIRELA: How a Latino Family Copes with Cognitive Loss, Bay Area current focus
Topic
Uses "soap opera" segments in Spanish
Partnering Organization(s)
Photozig Inc & Alzheimer's Assn.
Populations Served
Spanish speaking persons who identify as Hispanic/ Latino
Location
US
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
iSupport for Dementia Family Caregivers
Topic
Diversity & Dementia
Partnering Organization(s)
World Health Organization
Populations Served
Globally: family members of persons with significant cognitive confusion
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
Interventions for Grandparents Caring for Problematic Grandchildren
Partnering Organization(s)
University of North Texas, Denton
Location
US
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
-
Caregiving Interventions for Latino Family Caregivers of Older Cognitively Impaired Persons
Partnering Organization(s)
Southern Caregiver Resource Center
Location
California
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
Caregiving for Persons with Dementia
Partnering Organization(s)
Australian Government in Queensland
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Late Life Depression Among Stroke Patients
Partnering Organization(s)
University of Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
Coping with Caregiving: A Group Program for Spanish Dementia Family Caregivers
Partnering Organization(s)
Departamento de Psicologia, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Spain
Ongoing Project
No
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
-
In Home Intervention versus Telephone Support to Reduce Stress of Dementia Caregivers
Partnering Organization(s)
Hong Kong Polytechnic University
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
No
-
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Late Life Depression, Shanghai, China
Partnering Organization(s)
Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
Caring for the Caregiver in Japan & China, Tokyo, Beijing
Topic
Skill training for Japanese & Chinese family caregivers
Partnering Organization(s)
International Alzheimer's Assn.
Populations Served
Japanese & Chinese family members caring at home for frail elderly relatives
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes
-
Skill Training for Family Caregivers
Topic
"Train the Trainers" to deliver psychoeducational skill building programs to family caregivers
Partnering Organization(s)
Caregiver Resource Centers of CA & San Francisco Bay Area chapter of the Alzheimer's Association
Populations Served
Staff and families caring for physically and/or cognitively impaired elder relatives
Location
International
Ongoing Project
Yes
Opportunities for Student Involvement
Yes