Robert M. Gordon (born 1947) is an American psychologist known for his work in forensic psychology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and psychological assessment. His research focuses on personality assessment and differential diagnosis.
Early life and education.
Gordon was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He earned a Bachelor of Arts in 1970 and a Ph.D. in Psychology in 1975 from Temple University. In 1979, he completed psychoanalytic training at the Post-Graduate Center for Mental Health in New York City.
Career.
Gordon has worked in independent practice since 1976, specializing in forensic psychology, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and psychological assessment. He has held academic positions at Lehigh University, Yeshiva University, Chestnut Hill College, and Widener University, where he supervised doctoral students in clinical and forensic assessment.
He served as president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (1990–1991) and was elected to the Governing Council of the American Psychological Association (1992–1995, 2001–2003). In 2001, he received the Pennsylvania Psychological Association's Distinguished Service Award.
Gordon holds Diplomate status from the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP) in Clinical Psychology (1982) and Psychoanalysis (2006). In 2015, he was elected as honorary member of the American Psychoanalytic Association. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and a charter member of the APA’s Division 39 (Society for Psychoanalysis and Psychoanalytic Psychology).
Licensed to practice in Pennsylvania and Florida, Gordon holds a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology from the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards, and has Authority to Practice Interjurisdictional Telepsychology (APIT).
Contributions to Psychology.
Gordon has contributed to the development of objective psychodynamic assessment methods. He served on the Steering Committee for the "Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual, 2nd Edition" (PDM-2) (2014–2016) and co-authored the "Psychodiagnostic Chart (PDC)" with Robert F. Bornstein. The PDC has been incorporated into both the second and third editions of the "Psychodynamic Diagnostic Manual (PDM)", a framework for psychodynamic assessment.
Gordon consulted for the Lehigh County Public Defender’s Office in forensic psychology from 2010 to 2020. Since 2014, he has served on the faculty and Chair of the Research Committee of the China American Psychoanalytic Alliance (CAPA). Between 1985 and 2011, he organized American Psychological Association-approved continuing education programs in psychology, including ethics workshops.
Public Speaking.
In 2014, Gordon delivered a TEDx Talk titled "The Power of Apology", discussing the psychological and interpersonal effects of full apologies.
Research.
Gordon has authored over 100 scholarly articles in peer-reviewed psychology journals on psychological assessment and diagnosis. His research covers topics such as personality organization, parental alienation, and psychoanalytic treatment. As of 2024, ResearchGate ranks him in the top 3% of forensic psychologists based on scholarly publications.