Tom G. Stevens PhD

Dr. Tom G. Stevens is a psychologist professor emeritus at California State University, Long Beach; where he worked in the Counseling and Psychological Services Center for 31 years. His four degrees include a PhD in Psychology from the University of Hawaii and a Master of Theology from the Claremont School of Theology. He was a United Methodist minister before getting his PhD. Integrating theology, philosophy, and science is a special interest of his.

His pursuit of understanding how people can learn to be happy and more productive began with a life-altering experience at age 16, when he chose to make happiness for self and others a top goal in his life. That decision led to his fulfilling professional and personal life.

Dr. Stevens' professional contributions include a number of publications and papers. He has completed research in the areas of self-management and emotional coping, interpersonal communication, career and life planning, assertion training, life skills training, habit change, and artificial intelligence. One of his research projects was a four-year study of factors contributing to the happiness and success of over 4,000 college students and persons in the community.

He also led a series of experimental studies developing self-instructional videotapes for interpersonal skills training. All ten experimental studies found positive effects. He and his wife Sherry developed a relationship questionnaire (the SRQ) which had high correlations with relationship happiness. The research supported many of their ideas about successful relationships. He has also developed ANDY, a computer program utilizing artificial intelligence to assess and advise college students. He has developed a number of college classes and community workshops to help people learn self-management, career, and interpersonal skills. Thousands of people have participated in these classes and workshops (which receive high ratings from participants).

Dr. Stevens has used the term Spiritual Cognitive Therapy to designate a psychotherapy approach that varies from traditional cognitive therapy by focusing more upon people s top values and beliefs, because they are the core of our personality and probably are the most important long-term factors affecting our emotions and life success.

After writing the first edition, Dr. Stevens wanted even more proof that this book was valid, so he developed the free, online questionnaire, SHAQ (The Success and Happiness Attributes Questionnaire), by going through each chapter, taking each main idea, and turning it into questions. He correlated these questions (and related scales) with over 3400 SHAQ users’ emotional and life success measures. SHAQ scales correlated with Happiness, .87; with Low Depression, .73; with Low Anxiety, .68; with Low Anger-Aggression, .70; with Relationship Success, .70; and with good results for career success measures. Correlations this high are rarely found in this type of research. We’re unaware of any self-help book that has ever tested its ideas so extensively. These dramatic results impelled Dr. Stevens to revise this book and include his research and new sections.

Dr. Stevens lives what he writes about. His favorite hobby is tennis, which he plays often. He and his wife Sherry have the kind of intimate--yet independent--relationship he writes about. Their many happy activities together include dancing, biking, swimming, music, reading, walking, and travel. They spend part of each year in their Maui paradise. Between them they have three children; who are now adults.

Dr. Stevens believes that his greatest success is living a happy life and helping others find happiness. He has spent his life learning the secrets of how to overcome negative emotions and how to be happy, and wants to share them with as many people as possible. He wants you to know how You Can Choose to Be Happy.