S1E2: Aaron Rochlen: Groundbreaking researcher on masked depression and fatherhood, Austin’s own walking therapist

PsychSessions: Conversations about Teaching N' Stuff

Dr. Aaron Rochlen is a Clinical Professor and Chair in the Counseling Psychology Program at the University of Texas at Austin. We discussed Aaron’s journey to psychology and men’s mental health, and I found it interesting that he perceived himself as an average graduate student until he really found his passion. His passion came when he read a paper that proposed some challenges on engaging men in therapy: men are in “double jeopardy.”

We also discussed how his highest impact work came from being curious about some simple questions that came in his research. The first question was why are men’s suicide rates so much higher if their rates of depression are considerably lower, when compared with women. The second question was related to some findings that demonstrated women were increasingly earning more than their male partners. Aaron was curious about the impact of this on men and fathers.

We also chatted about Aaron’s ideas on what we should really call a unique men’s depression (masked, masculine, male?) and the challenges on naming interventions designed for men who might be hesitant to engage in help-seeking. We did find some time to talk about his stay-at-home father research, which was cutting edge at the time. In fact it was so cutting edge and applicable to real life that it landed Aaron on NBC’s Today Show.

Aaron also teaches a popular course on movies and mental health at UT, so we discussed a few movies and shows that demonstrate depression, including depression in men. In 2007, I saw Aaron give a talk on depression in men with illustrations from the Sopranos pilot episode that was fantastic, so it was great to connect with him on this topic one-on-one. We wrap up with Aaron describing how he indeed “practices what he preaches” via his small practice with men called Walk Therapy Austin. He finds that a therapy that is outdoors and movement-oriented helps men engage in talk therapy.