George Weinberg

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Dr. George Weinberg

George Weinberg is a Manhattan psychotherapist with a doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University, a Master’s Degree in English literature from New York University, and advanced training in mathematical statistics. He has written twelve books and is published in twenty-three languages. He has also written for popular and professional journals and for television.

Weinberg is known for several major contributions to psychotherapy. He coined the word "homophobia" (in his 1972 book, Society and the Healthy Homosexual) to propose that those who harbor prejudice against gay people and not gay people themselves are suffering from a psychological malady, an irrational state of mind. Weinberg, though heterosexual himself, became a leader in the ultimately successful struggle to have homosexuality removed as a diagnostic category from the DSM, the professional therapeutic index of mental disorders. He has been instrumental in shifting public perception of homosexuality.

Weinberg began using the word homophobia in 1966 and soon the then minute, pre-Stonewall "homophile movement" began using it. Weinberg next prevailed on a friend, Al Goldstein who published the underground newspapers Gay and Screw, to introduce the word. He wrote articles for the underground press himself. He then persuaded a young student, Ken Smith, to do a research study for his master’s degree on homophobia and they designed the questionnaire together. It was the first published scientific study of homophobia.

Weinberg's widely read, seminal 1984 book, The Heart of Psychotherapy, describes innovative therapeutic methods that de-emphasize traditional therapy's approach. He instead presents immediately practical tools that patients can use to help themselves.

Weinberg's extensive background in mathematics was reflected in his doctoral thesis, "Clinical versus Statistical Prediction in Psychology,"and he later wrote the textbook, Statistics, An Intuitive Approach. Its emphasis on the use and misuse of statistics led to its being adopted in many universities and appearing in four editions.

In January 2010, Weinberg's original "Hunger Illusion" intervention as a way of discovering one's own true motives was the subject of a Psychology Today blog by Ryan Howse. On the blog, Dr. Howse interviews Dr. Weinberg.

As a research consultant and a leading critic of alleged quantitative measurement in psychology, Weinberg has questioned the relevancy of most psychological experimentation. He points out the disconnect between psychological research and what actually works in therapy.

Dr. Weinberg has written regularly for such varied popular publications as Cosmopolitan, Glamour and TV Guide. He has appeared on hundreds of radio and television interview programs, including NBC's Today Show, discussing his books and articles.

Weinberg is currently concluding work on a book called Ilusions that Hold You Back or Inspire You.