• On “adulting” and the work of Julie Lythcott-Haims

• The award-winning Netflix series “Black Mirror” depicts the terrifying potential impact of technology on human relatedness 

• What neuroscience has learned about the “sixth sense”: interoception

• An emerging model of mental health considers 3 main factors: a person’s baseline stress, current degree of situational or internal stress, and innate resilience to stress

• Dan Gilbert describes the fundamental errors involved in decision-making 

Please check out the library of available blog articles and podcast recordings.

• Revisiting Cognitive Dissonance



• The Psychology of Control

The Men's Group Seminar: Men Are Poor at Being Relational -- Myth or Fact?

A predominant cliché of the current sociocultural landscape is that, simply put, men are poor at relating not only to others, but to themselves. Commentators have coined the term “toxic masculinity” to explain, at least in part, how boys are socialized to act in accordance with social norms that downplay or even oppose an emphasis on interpersonal capacities including empathy, vulnerability, and sensitivity. Moreover, research and theoretical perspectives generated by experts in the emotional intelligence domain frequently conclude that boys and men are far less competent than girls and women at behaviors associated with relational ability. 

In the next in-person meeting of the Men’s Group Seminar on Saturday, July 15, 2023 (10:15 to 11:30 AM), we will attempt to critically evaluate this cliché.  Our effort will center on evaluating a curated sampling of readings that include a commentary on the role of mothers in supporting their sons’ capacity to be relational; the identification of loneliness among men and its link to socialization dynamics; a depiction of men and women as being similar in their relational needs but evidencing stylistic differences in how these needs are met; and more formal academic articles that feature interdependence differences based on gender and a call for how to support boys and men in the development of “healthy masculinities.” 

To register for this upcoming in-person seminar, please see the directions below.

The Relationship Group Seminar: Friendship

The value of friendship has been reinvigorated and has emerged as a personal and societal priority, especially given the challenges of the COVID pandemic as well as the release of the findings of the 85-year longitudinal Harvard study indicating that relationships are more important than any other factor in determining happiness. Additional research finds that positive long-term friendships are highly correlated with health and psychological benefits including a sense of wellbeing. Nevertheless, it is surprising how relatively little is known about the psychology of friendship and how significant of a challenge it is for both men and women to maintain long-term meaningful friendships and to establish new ones.   

In the next in-person meeting of the Relationship Group Seminar on Saturday, July 15, 2023 (11:45 AM to 1:00 PM), we will investigate the psychology of friendship. The topics to be considered will include the relational components put forth by researchers that qualify a bond as friendship; the energy involved in building and maintaining friendships, especially the work of Robin Dunbar, author or Friends: Understanding the Power of Our Most Important Relationships, who has identified the normative limits of the number of friends and best friends people typically have; and the underlying dynamics and processes involved in building a friendship, including the role of attraction and social cognition. Lydia Denworth's TED Talk "The Science of Friendship" will also be considered for its depiction of friendship as a cultural, biological and social phenomenon. Our focus, however, will be on the American Psychological Association’s podcast interview of Marisa Franco, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make-and Keep-Friends, who offers a comprehensive review of friendship that consists of advice on how to create new friendships and a description of the ways in which friendships dissolve. 

To register for this upcoming in-person seminar, please see the directions below.

New Psychodynamic Psychotherapy Group Forming

A new psychodynamic psychotherapy group (for women and men) is now forming in my practice; the day/time of group sessions has yet to be determined. Referrals are welcomed (please contact me at 949-338-4388 or at jt@jamestobinphd.com). This therapy group will utilize the emerging dynamics among group members as a basis from which to examine characteristic ways of thinking, feeling, and relating to others. The group will be a therapeutic experience and entry will occur only after a pre-group screening interview and preparation phase.