We're pleased to present a new edition of our series dedicated to our members, their projects and their personalized packages at La Halte. This week, we shine the spotlight on Donald J. Robertson - writer, philosopher and psychotherapist, and a member of La Halte since last July.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and explain what your field of work entails?

Hello.  I'm a former cognitive-behavioural psychotherapist.  I mainly write books now, about history and philosophy and psychology, and do some online coaching, public speaking, training, and consultancy.  I was born in Scotland, and lived and worked in England - I had a clinical practice in Harley Street for many years.  I emigrated to Canada (the second-best country in the world) just over a decade ago and I'm now a dual British-Canadian citizen, although I also have permanent residence in Greece, where I spend a few months each year, doing research on Greek history and philosophy.  I lived in Nova Scotia, then for a couple of years in Toronto, before settling a couple of years ago in Montreal, in the great nation of Quebec.  I live with my American wife, Kasey, and Quebecois baby, Hector, beside Lafontaine Park not far from Halte 24-7.      

Why did you choose a coworking space rather than another type of office?

Have you seen The Shining?  A lot of writers worry that they'll go crazy staring at a typewriter (or MS-Word) all day, every day, for years, and not getting outdoors enough!  I'm lucky that I work a lot online with other people and get to travel a lot.  But it's nice to get out of our small apartment and be in an office where there are other human beings around.  Also, my wife, who is a writer and editor, works one day a week at Halte 24-7, and then I look after the baby.  So it gives us some flexibility, and a good work-life balance.  Two things that I've learned don't combine well are having a toddler and writing a book.  So although my wife and I both work at home, it's also nice to have another space where we can concentrate more easily.

Tell us a bit about your work, your background, and what motivated you in your career.

I've written about eight or nine books, about philosophy and psychotherapy.  One of them, How to Think Like a Roman Emperor, has sold over a quarter of a million copies, and been translated into twenty languages -- but not French for some reason!  I got kicked out of school when I was sixteen, and nobody would give me a job, so I decided that I would try to figure out how to make a living from my hobby, which was reading books about history and philosophy.  It took a long time but I managed to carve out a career for myself doing the things I love, and feeling that maybe I get to help a lot of other people along the way, through therapy and coaching and writing about self-help.   

Can you share some details about your current projects?

Well, I run a nonprofit based in Greece called The Plato's Academy Centre, which organizes online conferences, etc, and is raising funds to create an international conference centre at the original location of Plato's Academy in Athens.  (So I don't speak much French because I've been trying instead to learn Greek for the past few years.)  My most recent book was about Socrates, and I'm very interested in promoting Socratic dialogue and critical thinking.  I'm also very interested in anger.  I was so angry as a teenager that by the time I was in my twenties I realized I would have to change.  Anger is the most neglected of all the emotions in psychotherapy and self-help.  Overcoming our anger, I think, is the royal road to self-improvement.  So, finally, I am working on a new book about the philosophy and psychology of anger, which is one I've been wanting to write for decades. 

What are your aspirations and plans for the coming years?

I'm organizing a conference online about anger with some leading experts, and have a team of over twenty (!) psychologists who I have gathered together to discuss research on anger. I hope that over the next couple of years I'll be able to do more research and speak more in public about what I call "cracking the nut of anger."  Today, for example, I have a meeting with a journalist from the Globe and Mail who is writing a cover story on Canadian anger about the current American administration saying they might possibly annex our country, etc.  Political arguments on social media make people very angry, but anger often clouds our judgment and causes us to make bad decisions.  It causes us to reach for simple solutions to complex problems.  So I'm hoping we can help people find a better way to think about their disagreements.     

A flexible plan 

Donald Robertson has been enjoying a very flexible package since his arrival at La Halte 8 months ago! He occupies a dedicated position and benefits from an advantageous bank of conference rooms for his videoconference meetings. The 24-7 access allows him total flexibility for his meetings at any time of day, depending on his clientele. The dedicated position is a versatile, flexible option and can be shared by several team members!

To find out more about Donald Robertson, visit https://donaldrobertson.name/

Stay tuned to our series in the coming weeks to discover other teams and their achievements within our business community!