Donald Robertson

Donald Robertson is a Scottish-born cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist and writer who connects ancient Stoic philosophy with modern psychotherapy. He practised for many years in London and now divides his time between Canada and Greece. In The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy he traced the debt that modern therapy owes to Stoic ideas. How to Think Like a Roman Emperor combines a life of Marcus Aurelius with practical exercises for managing anger, fear, desire and pain, showing how Stoic techniques resemble the methods of cognitive therapy. He is a founding member of the Modern Stoicism organisation.

Key ideas

• Cognitive behavioural therapy grew in part from Stoic insights, notably Epictetus's claim that we are disturbed by our judgements about things rather than by things themselves.
• Distancing ourselves from our first impressions lets us examine and revise unhelpful judgements.
• Stoic exercises such as the view from above and premeditation of adversity work as tools for emotional resilience.
• The life of Marcus Aurelius shows Stoicism as a practice for handling real anger, grief and illness.

Major works

• How to Think Like a Roman Emperor (2019)
• The Philosophy of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (2010)
• Stoicism and the Art of Happiness (2013)
• How to Think Like Socrates (2024)

In the Book corner

• How to Think Like a Roman Emperor 2019 · Beginner
  A book that combines a life of Marcus Aurelius with practical psychology, written by a cognitive-behavioural therapist who has long studied Stoicism.…

In the conversation

No topics yet. Start one about this thinker.