John M. Robertson

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Seventy!

Having just completed my 70th year on this planet, I find myself in a reflective mood. What has mattered the most all these years? Can I offer anything useful to an 18-year-old about what lies ahead? Not that I’ve been asked, of course. But then, I don’t recall asking 70+ year-olds to answer that question when I wa......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Men and Loneliness

For many years, my clinical psychology practice served only men, sometimes with a woman in their lives. One glaring vulnerability often appeared in my conversations with older men. Men at midlife and beyond are often profoundly lonely.  Isolated.  Here is a typical conversation while getting acquainted with a man in ......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Men and Emotions

Men are often lampooned for their reluctance to express the full range of emotions. “Why can’t he just tell me what he’s feeling?”   Or, “I wish he wouldn’t clam up when I ask him about something emotional!” Though it may not seem like it sometimes, men are born with limbic systems – the parts of t......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Finding the Right Emotion Word

Over and over, men hear some version of the same question: “What are you feeling?” It’s a question many men finding annoying, unnecessary, even accusatory. From boyhood on, many men (especially older men) have been socialized to not pay attention to their emotions. Their rationale: if they express an emotion like......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
On Making Retirement Satisfying…for Men.  It’s not what we do… It’s what we experience.

  When I began talking about my own retirement a few years ago, I got one response more often than any other. “Oh, congratulations; what are you going to do?” Always, the emphasis was on the word do.  It gradually dawned on me this question was familiar, not new. When men meet, it is common to begin by ......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
On “Making a Difference”

Do I make a difference? For men, facing this question at some point in life seems almost inevitable. More so, perhaps, when it’s time to retire. Inevitable, yes, but also understandable. Because many men still feel a subtle pressure to measure their value by success at work—what is accomplished, and how much is ear......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
On “Going to Hell in a Hand Basket”

Three of my friends suffered much in the last year: one woman grieved the unexpected loss of a spouse of several decades; another suffered permanent disability in a bicycle accident; and a physically active, heath-conscious man was hit with a severe medical diagnosis. Although very painful and life changing, these e......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Two Views of Manhood

A First Glance I exited childhood in the 1950’s with beliefs about “being a man” that have gradually become myths to me over the last 60 years. I believed what I was taught back then – just by watching and listening:To be a respectable man, I must have a successful career Competition brings out the best i......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Goal-Setting and Emotions

Thanking about setting some goals for this year? Psychologists have learned that how we describe a goal actually influences the emotional experience of pursuing that goal. Specifically, they have identified three types of personal goals we humans set, and discovered that each goal type has its own emotional profile. ......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Brain Tip #1:  Use your Body, Benefit your Mind

Want to improve your chances of avoiding mild cognitive decline as you age? Or even of getting Alzheimer’s?  Researchers have identified several things we can do. Among them, is this strong recommendation: Get off your couch. And get active.           This is not new advice. Those of us 55 and older have ......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Brain Tip #2:   Socialize More, Improve Cognitive Performance

We humans are living longer. That’s the good news. The bad? After we turn 65, dementia rates double every five years in developed countries. And in developing ones, dementia rates double every seven years. (1)  The conclusion seems unavoidable. The longer we live, the more likely we are to suffer dementia. All the m......... more »

John M. Robertson is a psychologist who received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is now retired (emeritus) from Kansas State University, where he was a Senior Staff Psychologist and Coordinator of Research at University Counseling Services; a lecturer in Clinical Psychology for the Department of Psychology; and a member of the Graduate Faculty in the Department of Counseling and Educational Psychology. He has also lectured for the Department of Psychology and Research in Education at the University of Kansas. Dr. Robertson is a past president of the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity, a division of the American Psychological Association. He has authored more than 30 articles and book chapters on the psychological concerns of men, including a dozen original research articles published in refereed psychology journals. He has written a book for psychotherapists about men who are authoritarian: overbearing, coercive, manipulative, entitled, and judgmental (Tough Guys and True Believers, published by Routledge). Dr. Robertson also has conducted a psychotherapy private practice for men since 1991.
Brain Tip #3: Eat Smart, Decrease Dementia

Is diet related to dementia? For a long time, researchers have known two things: (i) poor dietary habits increase the risk of getting heart disease, and (ii) having heart disease increases the risks of dementia (1). The next question followed naturally: Does poor diet itself increase the risk of dementia? Researchers n......... more »