Tough Guys and True Believers: Managing Authoritarian Men in the Psychotherapy Room

This book will be a guide for therapists and counselors who work with authoritarian men, offering an understanding of these men and an empirically supported set of recommendations to work with them effectively. The first part of the book explores what an authoritarian male is and how he came to be that way. Robertson offers snapshots of men who can be considered authoritarian and discusses four perspectives on how to understand this behavior: as a function of personality, fundamental religious beliefs, biological evolution, or social/cultural constructions. The second part of the book contains specific and practical ideas for therapists who work with this type of man. These include believing that the man can change, developing a masculine friendly alliance, respecting his personal and religious beliefs, and teaching him self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-monitoring. Throughout this, Robertson stresses that some authoritarian men do want to change their thinking and behavior, and that all are capable of doing so, to help counselors and therapists cast aside any negative feelings they may have toward them.