Biographical Information

My life began in 1947 in Nashville, Tennessee, where I remained through college at Vanderbilt University and graduate school at Vanderbilt’s George Peabody College. I completed my internship in clinical psychology at Vanderbilt/Peabody as well. In 1973, I came to Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The beauty and hospitality of the area and the excellence of the university captivated my heart and mind. My first academic job was a “keeper” and has afforded me opportunities to thrive as a researcher, a teacher, and a practitioner.

A clinical and research psychologist for over 30 years, my professional works largely pertain to the psychology of physical appearance, including four books and about 150 scientific publications. My research program has examined appearance stereotyping and discrimination, the prevalence, causes, and consequences of body-image dissatisfaction, and the assessment and treatment of body-image difficulties.

In my psychological studies, I have sought to enhance our scientific understanding of the “human condition of embodiment”—the personal experiences of beauty, obesity, eating disorders, balding, acne, and the body-changing efforts of dieting, exercise, grooming behaviors, medicine, and cosmetic surgery.

In 2004, I founded a new scientific journal, Body Image: An International Journal of Research, for which I serve as the Editor-in-Chief. The central objective of this peer-reviewed publication is to both expand and integrate scholarship on body image and human physical appearance.

My 1997 book, The Body Image Workbook (pictured top right), offers an empirically validated cognitive-behavioral therapy program for body-image problems, within a self-help format. It is also valuable to therapists who wish to help persons who experience a range of body-image difficulties. In 2002, Tom Pruzinsky and I published our 57-chapter, edited volume Body Image: A Handbook of Theory, Research, and Clinical Practice (pictured bottom right).

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work as a consultant to many corporations, especially pharmaceutical companies, who seek to understand the impact of their products and services on body-image quality of life. Most of these collaborations have led to published works in scientific journals.

Often I have had the challenge and pleasure of translating the fruits of my scientific labors to the public—on television (e.g., ABC News “20/20,” The Discovery Channel, etc.), in the print media (e.g., New York Times, USA Today, Time magazine, etc.), and through several multi-media tours.

Beyond the fulfillment of my professional life, I am most fortunate to be the father of two wonderful sons—“TC” is a literary scholar and teacher, and Ben is an accomplished musician and Webmaster. Recently, my first grandchild, Thomas Hayden Cash, has come into my life. I enjoy each day at my home on the beautiful Chesapeake Bay in Virginia Beach.

Click here for information on Honors, Affiliations, and Boards.