Timothy J. Williamson

Biography

Dr. Williamson is a clinical health psychologist with research interests in stress, stigma, and health. In his research, Dr. Williamson uses qualitative and quantitative methods to understand how some psychological and social factors (e.g., stigma, social adversity) can increase risk for negative mental and physical health outcomes, whereas others (e.g., self-compassion, mindfulness) can promote resilience in the face of profoundly stressful experiences, including chronic medical diseases such as cancer.

Dr. Williamson is also a licensed clinical psychologist with additional training in psychosocial oncology and public health. As part of his clinical training, Dr. Williamson taught mindfulness and delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to individuals and couples in hospitals and community-based mental health clinics. Dr. Williamson has worked in a variety of behavioral medicine settings, including Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, the Weill Cornell Pediatric Sleep & Breathing Disorders Center, and the UCLA Cystic Fibrosis Center.

Dr. Williamson teaches courses at LMU in health psychology, psychopathology, and statistical methods for psychology. Dr. Williamson is committed to mentorship and providing students with learning experiences that promote self-reflection and deep understanding.

Education (5)

University of California,: Ph.D., Clinical Health Psychology 2019

Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian Hospital,: Predoctoral Internship 2019

University of California,: M.A., Psychology 2014

Claremont Graduate University: MPH, Health Promotion, Education, and Evaluation 2013

Pitzer College: B.A., Psychology 2013

Areas of Expertise (8)

Mindfulness

Stress and Coping

Psychosocial Oncology

Clinical Psychology

Health Psychology

Public Health

Stigma

Self-Compassion

Links (1)

• PRRISM Lab

Research Focus (1)

Description of the PRRISM Research Lab:

The Psychosocial Risk & Resilience In Stress & Medicine (PRRISM) Research Lab focuses on a central theme of understanding how to reduce stress, stigma, and social adversity and improve health and well-being. Dr. Williamson and other members of the PRRISM lab study how some psychological and social factors can increase risk for poor health outcomes, whereas others can promote resilience in the face of stressors, including chronic medical diseases such as cancer. Active lines of research include: 1) understanding and reducing the stigma experienced by adults with lung cancer; 2) testing the experimental effects of self-compassion and mindfulness on outcomes such as distress, shame, and social disconnection; and 3) clarifying the biobehavioral pathways through which stress and stigma confer risk for negative mental and physical health outcomes.

Articles (22)

Facets of stigma, self-compassion, and health-related adjustment to lung cancer: A longitudinal study

Health Psychology (2022)

Williamson, T. J., Garon, E. B., Shapiro, J. R., Chavira, D. A., Goldman, J. W., & Stanton, A. L. (2022). Facets of stigma, self-compassion, and health-related adjustment to lung cancer: A longitudinal study. Health Psychology, 41(4), 301-310. https://doi.org/10.1037/hea0001156.

Reducing stigma triggered by assessing smoking status among patients diagnosed with lung cancer: De-stigmatizing do and don’t lessons learned from qualitative interviews

Patient Education & Counseling Innovation (2022)

Ostroff, J. S., Banerjee, S. C., Lynch, K., Shen, M. J., Williamson, T. J., Haque, N., Riley, K., Hamann, H. A., Rigney, M., & Park, B. (2022). Reducing stigma triggered by assessing smoking status among patients diagnosed with lung cancer: De-stigmatizing do and don’t lessons learned from qualitative interviews. Patient Education & Counseling Innovation, 2, 1-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pecinn.2022.100025.

Oncology care provider (OCP) training in empathic communication skills to reduce lung cancer stigma

CHEST (2021)

Banerjee, S. C., Haque, N., Schofield, E. A., Williamson, T. J., Martin, C. M., Bylund, C. L., Shen, M. J., Rigney, M., Hamann, H. A., Parker, P. A., McFarland, D. C., Park, B. J., Molena, D., Moreno, A., & Ostroff, J. S. (2021). Oncology care provider (OCP) training in empathic communication skills to reduce lung cancer stigma. CHEST, 159(5), 2040-2049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chest.2020.11.024.

Evaluating associations between patient-reported stigma, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and the absence of empathic opportunities presented during clinical consultations for lung cancer

Patient Education and Counseling (2021)

Williamson, T. J., Ostroff, J. S., Martin, C. M., Banerjee, S. C., Bylund, C. L., Hamann, H. A., & Shen, M. J. (2021). Evaluating associations between patient-reported stigma, anxiety, and depressive symptoms and the absence of empathic opportunities presented during clinical consultations for lung cancer. Patient Education and Counseling, 104(2), 322-328. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2020.08.005.

Transitions in coping profiles after breast cancer diagnosis: Implications for depressive and physical symptoms

Journal of Behavioral Medicine (2021)

Kim, J. H. J, Bright, E. E., Williamson, T. J., Krull, J. L., Weihs, K. L, & Stanton, A. L. (2021) Transitions in coping profiles after breast cancer diagnosis: Implications for depressive and physical symptoms. Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 44(1), 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10865-020-00159-w.

Lung cancer stigma then and now: Continued challenges amid a landscape of progress

Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2021)

Hamann, H. A., Williamson, T. J., Studts, J. L., & Ostroff J. S. (2021). Lung cancer stigma then and now: Continued challenges amid a landscape of progress. Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 16(1), 17-20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtho.2020.10.017.

Changing the language of smoking behavior: Implications for reducing stigma, restoring dignity, and improving the precision of scientific communication

Nicotine & Tobacco Research (2020)

Williamson, T. J., Riley, K. E., Carter-Harris, L. & Ostroff, J. S. (2020). Changing the language of smoking behavior: Implications for reducing stigma, restoring dignity, and improving the precision of scientific communication. Nicotine & Tobacco Research, 22(12), 2280-2282. https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa141.

Dispositional shame and guilt as predictors of depressive symptoms and anxiety among adults with lung cancer: The mediational role of internalized stigma

Stigma and Health (2020)

Williamson, T. J., Ostroff, J. S., Haque, N., Martin, C. M., Hamann, H. A., Banerjee, S. C., & Shen, M. J. (2020). Dispositional shame and guilt as predictors of depressive symptoms and anxiety among adults with lung cancer: The mediational role of internalized stigma. Stigma and Health. 5(4), 425-433. https://doi.org/10.1037/sah0000214.

Lung cancer stigma: Does smoking history matter?

Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2020)

Williamson, T. J., Kwon, D. M., Riley, K. E., Shen, M. J., Hamann, H. A., & Ostroff, J. S. (2020). Lung cancer stigma: Does smoking history matter? Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 54(7), 535-540. https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaz063.

Lung cancer stigma and depression: Validation of the Lung Cancer Stigma Inventory

Psycho-Oncology (2019)

Ostroff, J. S., Riley, K. E., Shen, M. J., Atkinson, T. M., Williamson, T. J., & Hamann, H. A. (2019) Lung cancer stigma and depression: Validation of the Lung Cancer Stigma Inventory. Psycho-Oncology, 28(5), 1011-1017. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pon.5033.

Treatment features associated with youth cognitive behavioral therapy follow-up effects for internalizing disorders: A meta-analysis

Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology (2019)

Sun, M., Rith-Najarian, L. R., Williamson, T. J., & Chorpita, B. F. (2019). Treatment features associated with youth cognitive behavioral therapy follow-up effects for internalizing disorders: A meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 48, S269-S283. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2018.1443459.

Low concordance of patient-reported outcomes with clinical and clinical trial documentation

JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics (2018)

Fares, C. M., Williamson, T. J., Theisen, M. K., Cummings, A., Bornazyan, K., Carroll, J., Spiegel, M. L., Stanton, A. L., & Garon, E. B. (2018). Low concordance of patient-reported outcomes with clinical and clinical trial documentation. JCO Clinical Cancer Informatics. https://doi.org/10.1200/CCI.18.00059.

A longitudinal investigation of internalized stigma, constrained disclosure, and quality of life across 12 weeks in lung cancer patients on active oncologic treatment

Journal of Thoracic Oncology (2018)

Williamson, T. J., Choi, A. K., Kim, J. C., Garon, E. B., Shapiro, J. R., Irwin, M. R., Goldman, J. W., Bornyazan, K., Carroll, J. M., & Stanton, A. L. (2018). A longitudinal investigation of internalized stigma, constrained disclosure, and quality of life across 12 weeks in lung cancer patients on active oncologic treatment. Journal of Thoracic Oncology, 13(9), 1284-1293. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtho.2018.06.018.

Effects of social exclusion on subsequent stress reactivity to social evaluation

International Journal of Behavioral Medicine (2018)

Williamson, T. J., Thomas, K. T., Eisenberger, N. I., & Stanton, A. L. (2018). Effects of social exclusion on subsequent stress reactivity to social evaluation. International Journal of Behavioral Medicine, 25(4), 410-420. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12529-018-9720-5.

Metastatic Breast Cancer Collateral Damage Project (MBCCD): Scale development and preliminary results of the Survey of Health, Impact, Needs, and Experiences (SHINE)

Breast Cancer Research and Treatment (2018)

Williamson, T. J., Love, S. M., Clague DeHart, J. N., Jorge-Miller, A., Eshraghi, L., Cooper Ortner, H., & Stanton, A. L. (2018). Metastatic Breast Cancer Collateral Damage Project (MBCCD): Scale development and preliminary results of the Survey of Health, Impact, Needs, and Experiences (SHINE). Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 171, 75-84. http://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-4823-x.

Chronic physiologic effects of stress among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey

Psychosomatic Medicine (2018)

Mays, V. M., Juster, R. P, Williamson, T. J., Seeman, T. E., & Cochran, S. D. (2018). Chronic physiologic effects of stress among lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults: Results from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Psychosomatic Medicine, 80(6), 551-563. http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000000600.

Sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial factors associated with supportive care needs in adults diagnosed with uveal melanoma

JAMA Ophthalmology (2018)

Williamson, T. J., Jorge-Miller, A., McCannel, T. A., Beran, T. M., & Stanton, A. L. (2018). Sociodemographic, medical, and psychosocial factors associated with supportive care needs in adults diagnosed with uveal melanoma. JAMA Ophthalmology, 136(4), 356-363. http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2018.0019.

Effects of social adversity and HIV on subcortical shape and neurocognitive function

Brain Imaging and Behavior (2018)

Thames, A. D., Kuhn, T. P., Mahmood, Z., Bilder, R. M., Williamson, T. J., Singer, E. J., & Arentoft, A. (2018). Effects of social adversity and HIV on subcortical shape and neurocognitive function. Brain Imaging and Behavior, 12(1), 96-108. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11682-017-9676-0.

Helping yourself by offering help: Mediators of expressive helping for hematopoietic stem-cell transplant survivor

Annals of Behavioral Medicine (2017)

Williamson, T. J., Stanton, A. L., Austin, J. E., Valdimarsdottir, H. B., Wu, L. M., Krull, J. L., & Rini, C. R. (2017). Helping yourself by offering help: Mediators of expressive helping for hematopoietic stem-cell transplant survivors. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 51(5), 683-693. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12160-017-9892-2.

Differential relationships between social adversity and depressive symptoms by HIV-status and racial/ethnic identity

Health Psychology (2017)

Williamson, T. J., Mahmood, Z., Kuhn, T. P., & Thames, A. D. (2017). Differential relationships between social adversity and depressive symptoms by HIV-status and racial/ethnic identity. Health Psychology, 36(2), 133-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/hea0000458.

Marijuana effects on changes in brain structure and cognitive function among HIV+ and HIV- adults

Drug and Alcohol Dependence (2017)

Thames, A. D., Kuhn, T. K., Williamson, T. J., Jones, J. D., Mahmood, Z., & Hammond, A. M. (2017). Marijuana effects on changes in brain structure and cognitive function among HIV+ and HIV- adults. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 170, 120-127. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.007.

Post-traumatic disorder symptoms and blunted diurnal cortisol production in partners of prostate cancer patients

Psychoneuroendocrinology (2012)

Thomas, K. S., Bower, J. E., Williamson, T. J., Hoyt, M. A., Wellisch, D., Stanton, A. L., & Irwin, M. (2012). Post-traumatic disorder symptoms and blunted diurnal cortisol production in partners of prostate cancer patients. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 37(8), 1181-1190. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2011.12.008.