Rob Dobrenski

Rob Dobrenski is working in New York City as a licensed clinical psychologist. In addition to his clinical work, he is the published author of the short story "Shrinks Get it Wrong Sometimes" and the book Crazy: Notes on and Off the Couch (Lyons Press, June 2011), writer of the blog ShrinkTalk.Net and he co-hosts two weekly radio programs, Here's What to Think and Attention Crash.
Psychology
Education
Dobrenski graduated with a PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Toledo in 2001 and completed his post doctorate work at Cornell Med Center.
Professional career
Dobrenski began his internship working with women at risk for self-harm and suicide. He also worked at an elderly care facility.
He then joined a private practice, but when it was discovered that he was writing about his personal life, semi-fictional clients (based on actual clients whose identifying characteristics were changed to protect their identity) and his colleagues, he was given the option to leave if he wanted to continue writing, or stop writing and stay.
After separating from his former colleagues he opened his own private practice. He specializes in mood and anxiety disorders.
In addition to seeing clients privately, weight loss surgery department refers patients who are seeking gastric bypass surgery to Dobrenski for a psychological evaluation necessary before the client can receive the procedure.
Blog
Rudius Media
Dobrenski began writing about himself, his colleagues and his work in the mid-2000s as a way to reveal some of the mystery surrounding his profession. Shrinktalk.net was part of the now defunct Rudius Media before Rudius Media shut down in 2009. After Rudius, "Dr. Rob" (as he refers to himself) continued updating his blog under the same URL.
After Rudius
Before Rudius Media closed its doors, he worked together with other writers associated with Rudius to produce pieces like Dr. Rob vs Philalawyer: A Running Conversation on the Intersection of Work and Life. After Rudius disbanded, he continued to collaborate with former Rudius employees Donika Miller and Ben Corman. He also continues to work with PJ of Philalawyer.
Author
Dobrenski is the author of Crazy: Notes On and Off the Couch, which is a series of narratives that attempt to reveal the nature of mental illness and its treatment and pull back the shroud surrounding the lives of therapists. It has been criticized by his colleagues for extensive self-disclosure and the manner in which the book paints professional therapists as just as "crazy" as the patients. However, it was praised as "tackling serious mental health issues without being overly reverent," as well as "snappy, clean and honest writing that makes for an engaging read," by Kirkus Reviews. It was also acclaimed by New York Journal of Books, the Library Journal and Shelf Awareness. The book was released in June, 2011.
In September 2011, Dobrenski became the mental health expert for Yahoo! Health, where he writes brief, self-help pieces and adds commentary on relevant psychological issues.
Radio programs
Dobrenski is the co-host of two radio programs with former Rudius Media members.
Here's What to Think
Dr. Rob co-hosts a weekly program, Here's What To Think, on blog talk radio with Donika Miller and PJ. The show has a loose format that includes a check in with the hosts' activities from the last week, some topical issues and occasional guest spots. The show mostly meanders from topic to topic and the depth of discussion depends on how passionate the hosts are about the subject. The show has a comedic tone focusing mostly on personal opinion and does not place a strong emphasis on factual accuracy. The show is released every Wednesday at 5 p.m. PST. Episodes are made available for download on iTunes.
Attention Crash
Dr. Rob co-hosts a second weekly radio program with Ben Corman, a former editor for Rudius Media and an aspiring fiction author and comedian. Attention Crash follows a more strict format, starting with a weekly check in, then discussing their opinions of (on average) three recent, popular, news items. Since its pilot episode, the show has had one guest, Tyler Knight. Unlike the guest spots on Here's What to Think, the Tyler Knight interview encompassed the whole of the episode.
Misc
Dobrenski has also been interviewed or referenced in various news articles relating to relationships (e.g., Cosmopolitan, the Wall Street Journal), and has been on the British television program Weird Connections to discuss the psychology of eating and obesity.
Citations
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