John Beaton

John Beaton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Family Relations & Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph, within the College of Social & Applied Human Sciences. His academic role includes teaching in the Relational and Psychotherapy Training Programs, focusing on Solution-Focused Therapy and Health & Well-Being for graduate students. He is a Clinical Member and Approved Supervisor with the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy.

Dr. Beaton’s research centers on engaging men in relational contexts, particularly around physical health, fatherhood, and co-parenting. Key areas include men’s health in cancer management, fatherhood in families with children with disabilities, and autism caregiving. He leads the Community Action Research Project: Men’s Health, Fatherhood and Cancer, and collaborates with the Father Involvement Research Alliance. His recent work explores narratives of fathers raising autistic children.

He holds a PhD in Family Social Studies (University of Minnesota, 2002) and an MSc in Couple and Family Therapy (University of Guelph, 1998). He currently chairs the Campus Student Mental Health Advisory Committee and coordinates the Fathers with Special Needs Cluster group. His interdisciplinary projects bridge clinical practice, community intervention, and family systems theory.