The San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy was founded in 1995 by Drs. Jackie Persons, Michael Tompkins, and Joan Davidson. Located in Oakland’s Rockridge district, the Center opened at a time when cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) was not yet widely known in the Bay Area. Inspired by the work of Dr. Aaron Beck and others, we were honored to have Dr. Beck join us in celebrating the Center’s launch. Over time, many nationally and internationally recognized leaders in the field visited to offer training and workshops for our Center and for the small but growing community of local CBT practitioners.
As the Center grew, we hired staff therapists, psychological assistants, and administrative assistants to support its expansion. We offered classes, workshops, and trainings at the Center and throughout the Bay Area, while also collaborating on a video series, a book, and journal articles. We were invited to join the faculty at UC Berkeley as among the first CBT supervisors for graduate students and to give guest lectures on CBT. The Center also hosted educational and screening events for consumers, as well as trainings and social gatherings for professionals. We expanded by opening two additional offices in San Francisco and building close relationships with CBT oriented clinicians from around the Bay Area who became Affiliates of our Center. In recognition of that growth, we changed our name to the San Francisco Bay Area Center for Cognitive Therapy.
Over time, we realized that running a growing center required so much attention that the three of us could not devote as much energy as we wanted to clinical work, writing, teaching, research, and other individual projects. We therefore consolidated our practices in our Rockridge offices, shifted to a partnership model, and invited full Partners to join us. Over the years, we have worked with many talented staff therapists and Partners, and we deeply appreciate their contributions—not only to the care of our clients, but also to the field through books, articles, research, workshops, and teaching. We also had a great deal of fun working together. In 2013, Jackie recognized that not all of us could devote the time needed to support research at the Center. She chose to establish a new center that better aligned with her goal of integrating research into clinical practice. As our professional priorities continued to diverge, we split into two centers to support the partners’ different goals. Jackie became Director of the Oakland CBT Center on College Avenue in Oakland’s Rockridge district. Michael and Joan became Co-Directors of the SFBACCT, and soon afterward Daniela Owen, PhD, became our Assistant Director.
We’ve remained a partnership of clinicians who consult with one another, stay current with advances in research and clinical practice, and pursue professional projects both collaboratively and independently with the support of the Center team. When the pandemic forced us to leave our Rockridge offices, we became a “Center without walls.” Today, all partners provide telehealth treatment, and some also offer in-person sessions.
What began as a Center devoted solely to CBT has evolved while remaining grounded in the CBT model, incorporating evidence-based advances within today’s broader CBT umbrella. Each partner brings specialized interests and skills, allowing us to provide individualized treatment for people of different ages and with a wide range of concerns.
“To provide empirically supported, ethical, and compassionate care to our
patients, to offer high-quality professional training for clinicians, and
to disseminate information about CBT to both consumers and
professionals.”
Whether you’re looking for treatment information or want to set up a phone consultation, our clinicians are here to help. We aim to reply within 48 hours.