NOTED
Donald Robertson is a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist, trainer, and writer. Scottish by birth, Donald now shuttles between Montreal and Athens, where he founded and serves as president of the Plato’s Academy Centre. Over many years Donald has dovetailed his work in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with his passion for Stoicism. He is one of the founding members of the non-profit organization Modern Stoicism.
Donald is a work horse, publishing many books. The most recent is below.
He posts frequently on his Substack Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life along with posts from Plato’s Academy Centre.
Donald is a frequent participant in online programs. Plato’s Academy Center often couples with Classical Wisdom to offer programs and Donald is a regular presenter.
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I am choosing to go to Donald’s work with Stoicism and CBT.
This central teaching of Stoicism found perhaps its best-known expression in The Serenity Prayer, written by Reinhold Niebuhr in the 1930s, but made popular by Alcoholics Anonymous. “God, give me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” However, by the middle of the 20th century Stoicism and rational psychotherapy, based on these venerable philosophical principles, were temporarily eclipsed in popularity by an oddity that was to be rather short-lived by comparison: Freudian psychoanalysis.
Indeed, psychotherapists began to rediscover Stoicism from the 1950s onward through the writings of Albert Ellis, and what would become known as Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Despite the similarity of his approach to that of early rational psychotherapists such as Dubois, Ellis was initially unaware of their writings. However, as far back as his youth, before training as a psychotherapist, Ellis had “read the later Stoics, Epictetus, Seneca, and Marcus Aurelius” (Still & Dryden, 2012, pp. xii-xiii). Indeed, Ellis refers to the Stoics, particularly Epictetus, throughout his writings. Even when he doesn’t mention the Stoics by name, though, Ellis often describes concepts and techniques that seem to demonstrate their influence.
In Ellis’ first major publication on REBT, he famously explained the central premise of this emerging cognitive approach to psychotherapy: emotional disturbances, and associated symptoms, are not caused by external events, as people tend to assume, but mainly by our irrational beliefs about such events. However, he also explained that it was far from being a new idea:
This principle, which I have inducted from many psychotherapeutic sessions with scores of patients during the last several years, was originally discovered and stated by the ancient Stoic philosophers, especially Zeno of Citium (the founder of the school), Chrysippus, Panaetius of Rhodes (who introduced Stoicism into Rome), Cicero [sic], Seneca, Epictetus, and Marcus Aurelius. The truths of Stoicism were perhaps best set forth by Epictetus, who in the first century A.D. wrote in the Enchiridion: “Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of them.” (Ellis, 1962, p. 54)
Stoicism: Philosophy as a Way of Life 1/13/24
Reflection
In addition to the new title noted above, Donald’s books: Stoicism and the Art of Happiness, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, The Philosophy of Cognitive-Behaviorial Therapy, and his best selling graphic novel, Verissimus, have had a great impact on Stoics around the world. I hope Donald continues to turn out books for modern day Stoics and others interested in the philosophy.
Donald’s work as a CBT practitioner brings a unique expertise to the Stoic world. Stoicism is a “Way of Life,” and CBT focuses on how your thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes affect your feelings and actions. The ancient Stoic insights and modern CBT dovetail in a remarkable way, and Donald brings this synthesis together in a graceful, pleasant manner.
Resources
https://platosacademy.org/
EVENT
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DONALD J. ROBERTSON AND THE PLATO'S ACADEMY CENTRE
Plato’s Academy Centre (PAC) has been running regular virtual events on philosophy, all free of charge for over a year now. I was particularly looking forward to organizing an event on Philosophy and Children, though, as it’s something I think absolutely everyone can learn from.