Johanna Thompson-Hollands

Johanna Thompson-Hollands, PhD

Associate Professor

Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Psychiatry

PhD, Boston University
MA, Boston University
BA, Tufts University

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Websites

	National Center for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Profile
	Twitter
	Google Scholar
	ResearchGate

ORCID : 0000-0003-3011-8520

Johanna Thompson-Hollands, PhD is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine and a Staff Research Psychologist in the National Center for PTSD at VA Boston Healthcare System. Her work focuses on treatment development and outcome in PTSD, with a particular emphasis on the role of family and other social supports in enhancing outcomes and retention in PTSD treatment. Dr. Thompson-Hollands is the developer of the Brief Family Intervention (BFI) for PTSD, an adjunctive family-focused intervention that aims to improve veterans' outcomes in their individual trauma-focused therapy. She is currently leading a multi-site clinical trial to test the BFI in the VA.

In addition to multiple federal awards to conduct clinical trials related to family-inclusive treatments for psychopathology, Dr. Thompson-Hollands has also received federal funding to examine systems-level facilitators and barriers to family-inclusive treatment. The goal of this line of work is to promote the implementation of family-inclusive treatments in VA, ultimately increasing veterans' choices with regard to their care and addressing critical interpersonal variables known to impact psychopathology and treatment.

Beyond her work on family-inclusive treatments, Dr. Thompson-Hollands has a longstanding interest in enhancing PTSD treatments more broadly by improving their effectiveness and efficiency. She has been heavily involved in grant-funded projects and papers related to Written Exposure Therapy (WET), a brief 5-session trauma-focused intervention that demonstrates comparable results to longer trauma-focused treatments. Dr. Thompson-Hollands has extensive experience in training providers to deliver WET, including as a preventative intervention. She has also been lead author and co-author on several studies of WET, including long-term outcomes from the treatment and an examination of potential moderators of the treatment's effects.

Psychologist
VA Boston Healthcare System
National Center for PTSD

BU Research
NIH RePORTER Research

Assessment Core for a Phase 2, Multi-center, Multi-arm, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Adaptive Platform Trial to Evaluate the Safety, Tolerability, and Efficacy of Potential Therape
03/27/2023 - 11/30/2025 (Subcontract PI)
PPD Development LLC DOD ArmyMedResMatCmd

Personnel Agreement for Research Services of Eileen Polizzi (Barden)
01/01/2024 - 07/31/2025 (PI)
VA Boston Healthcare System

An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment: Effectiveness in a routine-care clinic
05/01/2017 - 07/19/2017 (PI)
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
1K23MH112839-01

Addressing Interpersonal Contexts in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
07/01/2011 - 06/30/2014 (Co-Investigator)
PI: David Barlow, PhD
NIH/National Institute of Mental Health
5F31MH092996-03

Title

Yr	Title	Project-Sub Proj	Pubs
2025	Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement	5I01CX002339-03
2023	Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement	5I01CX002339-02
2022	Family Involvement in Treatment for PTSD (FIT-PTSD): A Brief, Feasible Method for Enhancing Outcomes, Retention, and Engagement	1I01CX002339-01A1
2021	An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment	5IK2CX001589-05	4
2021	An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment	5IK2CX001589-04	4
2020	Reaping the Wisdom of Positive Deviants to Increase the Reach of Family Involvement in PTSD Treatment	1I21HX003237-01
2019	An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment	5IK2CX001589-03	4
2018	An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment	5IK2CX001589-02	4
2017	An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment	1IK2CX001589-01	4
2017	An adjunctive family intervention for individual PTSD treatment: Effectiveness in a routine-care clinic	1K23MH112836-01

Showing 10 of 13 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Website Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

Fite RE, Thompson-Hollands J. Obsessive Beliefs in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. J Ration Emot Cogn Behav Ther. 2025; 43(3):39. PMID: 40584574; PMCID: PMC12202661; DOI: 10.1007/s10942-025-00597-y;

Sloan DM, DeJesus C, Marx BP, Acierno R, Messina M, Thompson-Hollands J. Examining why therapists add sessions to the written exposure therapy protocol and whether it improves treatment outcome: A mixed-methods analysis. Psychol Serv. 2025 Mar 20.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
DeJesus, Christopher
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 40111857; PMCID: PMC12355373; DOI: 10.1037/ser0000954;

Barden EP, Kumar SA, Sager JC, Thompson-Hollands J, Lee DJ, Harper K, Keane TM, Marx BP. Posttraumatic stress and posttraumatic growth among female and male veterans: The contribution of romantic relationship and friendship functioning. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Jun; 38(3):399-409.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Harper, Kelly
Keane, Terence

PMID: 39887761

Sager JC, DeJesus CR, Kearns JC, Thompson-Hollands J, Trendel SL, Marx BP, Sloan DM. A meta-analytic review of cognitive processing therapy with and without the written account. J Anxiety Disord. 2025 Mar; 110:102976.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
DeJesus, Christopher
Sloan, Denise
Kearns, Jaclyn
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 39922105; PMCID: PMC12034002; DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.102976;

Talbot M, Thompson-Hollands J. Accommodation of posttraumatic stress symptoms: A scoping review of the literature. J Trauma Stress. 2025 Apr; 38(2):200-207.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Talbot, Margaret

PMID: 39558796

Thompson-Hollands J, Lee DJ, Allen ES, Pukay-Martin ND, Campbell SB, Chard KM, Renshaw KD, Sprunger JG, Birkley E, Dondanville KA, Litz BT, Riggs DS, Schobitz RP, Yarvis JS, Young-McCaughan S, Keane TM, Peterson AL, Monson CM, Fredman SJ. The significant others' responses to trauma scale (SORTS): applying factor analysis and item response theory to a measure of PTSD symptom accommodation. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2024; 15(1):2353530.View Related Profiles.

Litz, Brett
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Keane, Terence

PMID: 38836407; PMCID: PMC11155430; DOI: 10.1080/20008066.2024.2353530;

Fernando M, Fite RE, Thompson-Hollands J. Brief family involvement enhances veteran homework quality during trauma-focused psychotherapy. Psychol Trauma. 2025 Jul; 17(5):949-956.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Fernando, Michelle

PMID: 38512169

Thompson-Hollands J, Lunney CA, Sloan DM, Wiltsey Stirman S, Schnurr PP. Treatment length and symptom improvement in prolonged exposure and present-centered therapy for posttraumatic stress disorder: Comparing dose-response and good-enough level models in two manualized interventions. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2023 Oct; 91(10):596-605.View Related Profiles.

Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 37471022; PMCID: PMC10527917; DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000834;

Thompson-Hollands J. Introduction to the special section on social relationships and posttraumatic stress disorder treatment: Harnessing the power of significant relationships. J Trauma Stress. 2023 Jun; 36(3):479-483. PMID: 36853594

Shepherd-Banigan M, Shapiro A, Sheahan KL, Ackland PE, Meis LA, Thompson-Hollands J, Edelman D, Calhoun PS, Weidenbacher H, Van Houtven CH. Mental health therapy for veterans with PTSD as a family affair: A qualitative inquiry into how family support and social norms influence veteran engagement in care. Psychol Serv. 2023 Nov; 20(4):839-848. PMID: 36780280; PMCID: PMC10423295; DOI: 10.1037/ser0000742;

Showing 10 of 47 results. Show More

Reuman L, Thompson-Hollands J. Women veterans' attitudes toward family involvement in PTSD treatment: A mixed-methods examination. Psychol Serv. 2023 Nov; 20(4):770-779. PMID: 36048088; PMCID: PMC10288350; DOI: 10.1037/ser0000707;

Thompson-Hollands J, Rando AA, Stoycos SA, Meis LA, Iverson KM. Family Involvement in PTSD Treatment: Perspectives from a Nationwide Sample of Veterans Health Administration Clinicians. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2022 Nov; 49(6):1019-1030.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Iverson, Katherine
Stoycos, Sarah

PMID: 35930084; PMCID: PMC9362012; DOI: 10.1007/s10488-022-01214-1;

Lee DJ, Weathers FW, Thompson-Hollands J, Sloan DM, Marx BP. Concordance in PTSD symptom change between DSM-5 versions of the Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) and PTSD Checklist (PCL-5). Psychol Assess. 2022 Jun; 34(6):604-609.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Weathers, Frank
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 35389681; PMCID: PMC9437843; DOI: 10.1037/pas0001130;

Harper KL, Thompson-Hollands J, Keane TM, Marx BP. Family-Involved Mental Health Care Among OEF/OIF Veterans With and Without PTSD Using VHA Administrative Records. Behav Ther. 2022 Sep; 53(5):819-827.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Harper, Kelly
Keane, Terence

PMID: 35987541

Rando AA, Thompson-Hollands J. Veteran and romantic partner goals for family involvement in PTSD treatment: A qualitative study of dyads. Couple Family Psychol. 2022; 11(3):193-204. PMID: 37361015; PMCID: PMC10288590; DOI: 10.1037/cfp0000229;

Sloan DM, Thompson-Hollands J, Hayes AM, Lee DJ, Alpert E, Marx BP. Sudden Gains in Two Trauma-Focused Treatments for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Behav Ther. 2022 03; 53(2):255-266.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Alpert, Elizabeth
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 35227402; PMCID: PMC8896295; DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2021.08.003;

Shor R, Lee DJ, Thompson-Hollands J, Sloan DM. Psychometric properties of the Posttraumatic Avoidance Behaviour Questionnaire among a treatment-seeking adult sample. Psychol Trauma. 2022 Mar; 14(3):393-398.View Related Profiles.

Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 34398628; PMCID: PMC8847546; DOI: 10.1037/tra0001060;

Lee DJ, Marx BP, Thompson-Hollands J, Gallagher MW, Resick PA, Sloan DM. The temporal sequence of change in PTSD symptoms and hypothesized mediators in Cognitive Processing Therapy and Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD. Behav Res Ther. 2021 09; 144:103918.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 34198230; PMCID: PMC8325637; DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2021.103918;

Harper KL, Thompson-Hollands J, Keane TM, Marx BP. Mental health treatment utilization and relationship functioning among male and female OEF/OIF veterans. Psychol Serv. 2022 Aug; 19(3):597-603.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Harper, Kelly
Keane, Terence

PMID: 34081522

Thompson-Hollands J, Strage M, DeVoe ER, Beidas RS, Sloan DM. Development and initial testing of a brief adjunctive intervention for family members of veterans in individual PTSD treatment. Cogn Behav Pract. 2021 May; 28(12):193-209.View Related Profiles.

Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 35967077; PMCID: PMC9367094; DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpra.2020.06.007;

Thompson-Hollands J, Lee DJ, Sloan DM. The Use of a Brief Family Intervention to Reduce Dropout Among Veterans in Individual Trauma-Focused Treatment: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Trauma Stress. 2021 08; 34(4):829-839.View Related Profiles.

Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 33891718; PMCID: PMC8555692; DOI: 10.1002/jts.22680;

Thompson-Hollands J, Sloan DM, Marx BP. Seeking to Understand the Conditions Under Which Exposure-Based Writing Therapy for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder is an Effective Approach: A Commentary on Dawson et al. (2020). J Trauma Stress. 2021 02; 34(1):267-268.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 33277946; PMCID: PMC9022620; DOI: 10.1002/jts.22633;

Thompson-Hollands J, Marx BP, Lee DJ, Sloan DM. Longitudinal change in self-reported peritraumatic dissociation during and after a course of posttraumatic stress disorder treatment: Contributions of symptom severity and time. Psychol Trauma. 2021 Sep; 13(6):665-672.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 32881568; PMCID: PMC8434818; DOI: 10.1037/tra0000951;

Reuman L, Thompson-Hollands J. Family accommodation in PTSD: Proposed considerations and distinctions from the established transdiagnostic literature. Clin Psychol (New York). 2023 Dec; 30(4):453-464. PMID: 38390036; PMCID: PMC10881198; DOI: 10.1111/cpsp.12375;

Reuman L, Thompson-Hollands J, Abramowitz JS. Better Together: A Review and Recommendations to Optimize Research on Family Involvement in CBT for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Behav Ther. 2021 05; 52(3):594-606. PMID: 33990236; PMCID: PMC8124087; DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2020.07.008;

Marx BP, Thompson-Hollands J, Lee DJ, Resick PA, Sloan DM. Estimated Intelligence Moderates Cognitive Processing Therapy Outcome for Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms. Behav Ther. 2021 01; 52(1):162-169.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 33483114; PMCID: PMC8439555; DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2020.03.008;

Thompson-Hollands J, Burmeister LB, Rosen CS, O'Dougherty M, Erickson EPG, Meis LA. Veterans with poor PTSD treatment adherence: Exploring their loved ones' experience of PTSD and understanding of PTSD treatment. Psychol Serv. 2021 May; 18(2):216-226. PMID: 31436444; PMCID: PMC7035146; DOI: 10.1037/ser0000389;

Thompson-Hollands J, Marx BP, Sloan DM. Brief novel therapies for PTSD: Written Exposure Therapy. Curr Treat Options Psychiatry. 2019 Jun; 6(2):99-106.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 31245252; PMCID: PMC6594556; DOI: 10.1007/s40501-019-00168-w;

Thompson-Hollands J, Marx BP, Lee DJ, Resick PA, Sloan DM. Long-term treatment gains of a brief exposure-based treatment for PTSD. Depress Anxiety. 2018 10; 35(10):985-991.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Lee, Daniel
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 30144228; PMCID: PMC6168424; DOI: 10.1002/da.22825;

Lee DJ, Thompson-Hollands J, Strage MF, Marx BP, Unger W, Beck JG, Sloan DM. Latent Factor Structure and Construct Validity of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-Short Form Among Two PTSD Samples. Assessment. 2020 04; 27(3):423-431.View Related Profiles.

Marx, Brian
Lee, Daniel
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 30043646; PMCID: PMC6591115; DOI: 10.1177/1073191118791301;

Thompson-Hollands J, Litwack SD, Ryabchenko KA, Niles BL, Beck JG, Unger W, Sloan DM. Alliance across group treatment for veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder: The role of interpersonal trauma and treatment type. Group Dyn. 2018 Mar; 22(1):1-15.View Related Profiles.

Niles, Barbara
Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Ryabchenko, Karen
Litwack, Scott

PMID: 29755256; PMCID: PMC5947998; DOI: 10.1037/gdn0000077;

Barlow DH, Farchione TJ, Bullis JR, Gallagher MW, Murray-Latin H, Sauer-Zavala S, Bentley KH, Thompson-Hollands J, Conklin LR, Boswell JF, Ametaj A, Carl JR, Boettcher HT, Cassiello-Robbins C. The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders Compared With Diagnosis-Specific Protocols for Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Psychiatry. 2017 Sep 01; 74(9):875-884.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Sauer-Zavala, Shannon

PMID: 28768327; PMCID: PMC5710228; DOI: 10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2017.2164;

Sauer-Zavala S, Boswell JF, Bentley KH, Thompson-Hollands J, Farchione TJ, Barlow DH. Expectancies, working alliance, and outcome in transdiagnostic and single diagnosis treatment for anxiety disorders: An investigation of mediation. Cognit Ther Res. 2018 Apr; 42(2):135-145.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Sauer-Zavala, Shannon

PMID: 29755154; PMCID: PMC5945201; DOI: 10.1007/s10608-017-9855-8;

Thompson-Hollands J, Jun JJ, Sloan DM. The Association Between Peritraumatic Dissociation and PTSD Symptoms: The Mediating Role of Negative Beliefs About the Self. J Trauma Stress. 2017 Apr; 30(2):190-194.View Related Profiles.

Sloan, Denise
Thompson-Hollands, Johanna

PMID: 28449364; PMCID: PMC5793871; DOI: 10.1002/jts.22179;

Sauer-Zavala S, Cassiello-Robbins C, Conklin LR, Bullis JR, Thompson-Hollands J, Kennedy KA. Isolating the Unique Effects of the Unified Protocol Treatment Modules Using Single Case Experimental Design. Behav Modif. 2017 Mar; 41(2):286-307.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Sauer-Zavala, Shannon

PMID: 28198196; DOI: 10.1177/0145445516673827;

Thompson-Hollands J, Abramovitch A, Tompson MC, Barlow DH. A randomized clinical trial of a brief family intervention to reduce accommodation in obsessive-compulsive disorder: a preliminary study. Behav Ther. 2015 Mar; 46(2):218-29. PMID: 25645170; PMCID: PMC4748371; DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2014.11.001;

Thompson-Hollands J, Sauer-Zavala S, Barlow DH. CBT and the future of personalized treatment: a proposal. Depress Anxiety. 2014 Nov; 31(11):909-11.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Sauer-Zavala, Shannon

PMID: 25407579; DOI: 10.1002/da.22301;

Bullis JR, Sauer-Zavala S, Bentley KH, Thompson-Hollands J, Carl JR, Barlow DH. The unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: preliminary exploration of effectiveness for group delivery. Behav Modif. 2015 Mar; 39(2):295-321.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Sauer-Zavala, Shannon

PMID: 25316034; DOI: 10.1177/0145445514553094;

Thompson-Hollands J, Kerns CE, Pincus DB, Comer JS. Parental accommodation of child anxiety and related symptoms: range, impact, and correlates. J Anxiety Disord. 2014 Dec; 28(8):765-73. PMID: 25261837; PMCID: PMC4254352; DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.09.007;

Thompson-Hollands J, Edson A, Tompson MC, Comer JS. Family involvement in the psychological treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a meta-analysis. J Fam Psychol. 2014 Jun; 28(3):287-98. PMID: 24798816; PMCID: PMC4086156; DOI: 10.1037/a0036709;

Thompson-Hollands J, Farchione TJ, Barlow DH. Thought-action fusion across anxiety disorder diagnoses: specificity and treatment effects. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2013 May; 201(5):407-13. PMID: 23595095; PMCID: PMC3645350; DOI: 10.1097/NMD.0b013e31828e102c;

Barlow DH, Boswell JF, Thompson-Hollands J. Eysenck, Strupp, and 50 years of psychotherapy research: a personal perspective. Psychotherapy (Chic). 2013 Mar; 50(1):77-87. PMID: 23505983

Boswell JF, Thompson-Hollands J, Farchione TJ, Barlow DH. Intolerance of uncertainty: a common factor in the treatment of emotional disorders. J Clin Psychol. 2013 Jun; 69(6):630-45. PMID: 23381685; PMCID: PMC3712497; DOI: 10.1002/jclp.21965;

Zeidan MA, Lebron-Milad K, Thompson-Hollands J, Im JJ, Dougherty DD, Holt DJ, Orr SP, Milad MR. Test-retest reliability during fear acquisition and fear extinction in humans. CNS Neurosci Ther. 2012 Apr; 18(4):313-7. PMID: 21592319; PMCID: PMC6493448; DOI: 10.1111/j.1755-5949.2011.00238.x;

Farchione TJ, Fairholme CP, Ellard KK, Boisseau CL, Thompson-Hollands J, Carl JR, Gallagher MW, Barlow DH. Unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: a randomized controlled trial. Behav Ther. 2012 Sep; 43(3):666-78.View Related Profiles.

Thompson-Hollands, Johanna
Gallagher, Matthew

PMID: 22697453; PMCID: PMC3383087; DOI: 10.1016/j.beth.2012.01.001;

Wilamowska ZA, Thompson-Hollands J, Fairholme CP, Ellard KK, Farchione TJ, Barlow DH. Conceptual background, development, and preliminary data from the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders. Depress Anxiety. 2010 Oct; 27(10):882-90. PMID: 20886609; DOI: 10.1002/da.20735;

Dougherty DD, Jameson M, Deckersbach T, Loh R, Thompson-Hollands J, Jenike M, Keuthen NJ. Open-label study of high (30 mg) and moderate (20 mg) dose escitalopram for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2009 Nov; 24(6):306-11. PMID: 19730388

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 47 publications over 15 distinct years, with a maximum of 6 publications in 2021