Even a 95-foot fall from a cliff couldn't stop Hawaii's oldest practicing psychologist.
Robert Spicer, PhD, has been named an "Outstanding Older Worker" by Experience Works, a national organization that provides training and employment for low-income seniors.
Spicer, 88, began practicing in 1957 and still sees clients about 30 hours a week."
Practicing is sort of like being a truck driver--the longer you do it, the better you get," he observes.
Convinced of the powerful mind/body connection, he recommends an exercise routine to all his clients. He also continues to run and lift weights regularly--a tradition he improvised at age 7 with pipe pieces, concrete bits and ropes.
These days, Spicer enjoys leading hikes in the mountains surrounding Honolulu--albeit cautiously. Radiation treatment for melanoma has altered his sense of balance, which recently led to a slip and a long slide down a cliff face.
That close call, along with his recovery from metastatic cancer, has convinced Spicer that someone still has plans for him."Somehow or another, I'm still here," he says.
