The American Psychological Association
About Dr. Courtenay
Will Courtenay, PhD, is an internationally recognized expert in men’s health and in helping men, boys and fathers. The American Psychological Association calls him, “a leading psychologist in the field of masculinity.” After being selected for inclusion in Who’s Who in America for the previous 9 years, Who’s Who announced in 2018 that Dr. Courtenay was being awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors those who have “demonstrated leadership, excellence and longevity within their respective industries and professions.”
As a speaker, he has addressed audiences internationally and, as a consultant, has trained thousands of health professionals in how to most effectively communicate and work with men. He is a contributor to Esquire Magazine.
Dr. Courtenay received his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Dr. Courtenay has served on the clinical faculty in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and the University of California, San Francisco, Medical School.
In addition to his psychotherapy practice and international consulting work, Dr. Courtenay has spent the last 20 years researching the physical and mental health concerns of men and boys, and developing effective strategies for helping men and boys. In 2004, he received the “Researcher of The Year” award from the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity.
As an author, Dr. Courtenay has written extensively on the health and well-being of men and boys, and is a regular contributor to professional journals. His published works are referenced by researchers throughout the world and have been translated into many languages. Dr. Courtenay is the author of the book Dying To Be Men. He is currently writing another book entitled, Sad Dads, about men’s experiences with depression after becoming a father.
Dr. Courtenay was the founding editor of the International Journal of Men’s Health, and is on the editorial board of the Journal of Men’s Health. Dr. Courtenay is also on the Advisory Board of The Centers for Men, Young Men and Boys at McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, and is the U.S. Representative to the Steering Committee of the International Society for Men’s Health.
The American Psychological Association, Society for the Psychological Study of Men and Masculinity
A Leader In The Field of Men’s Psychology and Well-Being
Dr. Courtenay has always been in the forefront in the field of men’s and boys’ psychology and well-being.
He was among a few leading pioneers in what is now the flourishing field of men’s health. In 1996, Dr. Courtenay chaired the first national conference on men’s health. In 1999, he began teaching the nation’s first men’s health course at Sonoma State University, California, addressing biological, psychological, and social influences on men’s well-being.
In 2000, he served as guest editor for the first medical journal to devote a special issue to the topic of men’s health, the Journal of American College Health. In the same year, his piece was the lead article in the premiere issue of The American Psychological Association journal, Psychology of Men and Masculinity. In 2001, Dr. Courtenay became the founding Editor of the first—ever scholarly journal of men’s health, the International Journal of Men’s Health.
Dr. Courtenay continues to remain one of the most frequently cited authors and researchers about men’s health internationally. In 2009, Dr. Courtenay’s work provided the introductory chapter in one of the relatively few scholarly books on the subject on men’s health.
Today, Dr. Courtenay is a leading pioneer in new, largely uncharted terrain: men’s postpartum depression. Although it’s experienced by as many as one in four new dads, very little is understood about its causes and consequences – or about fathers’ experiences with postpartum depression.