Katherine Thompson, PhD, PA-C, is a forensic psychology researcher, physician assistant, and nationally recognized educator whose work focuses on intimate partner violence, coercive control, and nonfatal strangulation. Her career centers on understanding how violence operates as a system of power — particularly forms of abuse that leave little visible evidence but carry profound psychological and physiological impact.
With nearly two decades of experience in direct victim services and medical forensic response, Katherine has worked extensively with survivors of sexual assault and intimate partner violence. She has helped develop clinical education, forensic examination programs, and trauma-informed systems within healthcare settings. Her work emphasizes the role of healthcare professionals in identifying hidden abuse, responding to strangulation injuries, and improving systems of care for survivors.
Katherine is an award-winning educator with extensive experience in physician assistant and interprofessional healthcare education. She has presented nationally on trauma-informed care, strangulation response, and violence-related healthcare practices. As a research fellow focused on trauma-informed systems, she leads research examining provider knowledge, systemic gaps, and the broader implications of nonfatal strangulation within abusive relationships.
Her forthcoming book, Stolen Breath, explores strangulation as both a medical and social phenomenon — tracing its role in coercive control, cultural normalization, and the mechanisms through which breath, fear, and silence become tools of power.
Katherine’s work sits at the intersection of research, education, advocacy, and systems change. She speaks to medical, legal, academic, and community audiences and consults on violence response, training development, and trauma-informed systems.
Katherine Thompson 