Will Cupchik

Psychologist DR WILL CUPCHIK has been a member of the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association for more than 35 years and is currently an honorary life member of these organizations. For over 40 years he has personally worked with many hundreds of usually honest and reputable clients from all over the USA, Canada and other countries to help them understand - and to stop - their self-destructive stealing behavior.

His most recent book on this subject, WHY USUALLY HONEST PEOPLE STEAL, was published in 2013 and his earlier book, WHY HONEST PEOPLE SHOPLIFT OR COMMIT OTHER ACTS OF THEFT [Revised Edition] was published in 2002. While entirely readable on their own, together these two books may be considered, in effect, Volumes 1 and 2, as each emphasizes somewhat different aspects of this fascinating subject. The more recent, 2013 book, offers the important new findings of Dr Cupchik's latest 2013 study of some 30 theft offenders, and provides a great deal of new information about the personality characteristics, personal backgrounds and current modes of operating in the world that many of these 'Atypical Theft Offenders' have in common and that may well have contributed to their seemingly nonsensical theft behavior.

Dr Cupchik began investigating the seemingly bizarre and definitely atypical theft behaviour of usually honest persons in 1974 while working on the forensic service of the University of Toronto-affiliated CLARKE INSTITUTE OF PSYCHIATRY. He worked at the CLARKE INSTITUTE for a dozen years (1974-86), the last two years as PSYCHOLOGIST-IN-CHARGE, FORENSIC OUTPATIENT PSYCHOLOGICAL SERVICES.

Dr Cupchik's ground-breaking article, SHOPLIFTING: AN OCCASIONAL CRIME OF THE MORAL MAJORITY, was published in the major peer-reviewed professional journal, the Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, in 1983. This article is still available online from the AAPL website.

Dr Cupchik's most recent book, published in 2015, is THE ROPE TRICK: Close Your Eyes And Open Your Mind To Better Know Your Relationships, a book that describes in detail an original mental imagery exercise created by Dr Cupchik over forty years ago, and that is very likely the optimum (and reusable) imagery tool that allows the user to possibly acquire, within just minutes, an in-depth look into the current status and dynamics of one of his/her most important personal or work-related relationships. Dr. Cupchik vigorously investigated why the Rope Trick works for his PhD dissertation in counselling psychology at the University of Toronto. The book also describes in detail how to interpret the imagery experience and offers a number of examples of others' responses. The full verbatim 'Rope Trick' exercise is provided so that the reader may carry it out on his or her own, although Dr. Cupchik strongly suggests that only readers who are prepared to deal with whatever the exercise may indicate about their relationships, should carry it out. He further suggests that the reader preferably be in treatment with an experienced psychotherapist in order to best process the imagery experience.

NOTE: To assist suitable persons who have read his book and have noted and accepted the caveats and disclaimers therein, he has provided a video rendition of the Rope Trick exercise on YouTube, read by himself. On YouTube.com just search for "Cupchik Rope Trick" and you will be taken directly to the video.

Over the years Dr Cupchik has been interviewed by many in the media. He has been quoted in the NEW YORK TIMES, LA TIMES, DENVER POST, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE and GLOBE AND MAIL, as well as PEOPLE, SELF and HEALTH magazines, among others. He has also appeared in the New York studios of ABC's GOOD MORNING AMERICA, CBS's EARLY SHOW, MSNBC INVESTIGATES, and many other media outlets in the U.S., Canada, the U.K, Germany and elsewhere.

Readers are invited to go to Dr Cupchik's http://whyhonestpeoplesteal.com and www.drwillcupchik.com to learn more about these subjects.

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ACADEMIC BACKGROUND: In 1979 Dr Cupchik earned a PhD in Counseling Psychology from the University of Toronto. He also earned an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology from U of T in 1970, and a B.A. with a major in psychology from Carleton University in 1963. He received a Bachelor of (Electrical) Engineering degree from McGill University in 1961 and in the 1960s designed navigational guidance systems for American and other countries' military aircraft.

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS: Dr Cupchik has been a member of the American Psychological Association and the Canadian Psychological Association for over 35 years and is an honorary life member of both these professional organizations. He also holds a Certificate of Professional Qualification in Psychology (CPQ) and an Interjurisdictional Practice Certificate (IPC), both granted by the Association of State and Provincial Psychology Boards (ASPPB).