He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1976 and his master's degree in clinical psychology from the Hahnemann Medical College in 1972. He has held various prestigious positions, including Chief Psychologist for Children's Hospital of San Diego, Chief Psychologist of the San Diego Police Department, and Chief Behavior Science Consultant for the American Council on Exercise. He is also a co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Plus Size Certified, Inc. and a member of the Science Advisory Council of the International Council on Active Aging. In addition, he served as Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at UCSD Medical School, where he taught the Doctor-Patient Relationship course, and is a Lecturer at Point-Loma Nazarene University in the areas of the Doctor-Patient Relationship and the psychology of health coaching. He lectures widely around the world, including regularly at medical conferences such as the American Society of Hematology, where he's run an annual 3-day physician wellness studio over the past five years. He is a prolific author with four books to his name, including his recent work, "The Link is What You Think," "Ticking Bombs: Defusing Violence in the Workplace," and his iconic 1988 original "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff PS: It's All Small Stuff" and its 25th Anniversary Edition.  He has been a member of SAG-AFTRA since 1981 & Chair of Elections Committee and member of the Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee for his San Diego local.

His research interest is Clinical Psychology. He has been helping people overcome debilitating emotions such as anxiety, stress, depression, and burnout for nearly 50 years.