Robert W. Collins, PhD, has spent much of his professional life tackling two of the most difficult and least discussed problems in childhood: encopresis and enuresis. A clinical psychologist by training, he developed practical, hands-on approaches for families dealing with these conditions. His work stands out because it combines solid research, real-world clinical experience, and a deep understanding of how children actually learn new habits.
Robert W. Collins grew up in Davison, Michigan, a small town east of Flint, in the 1950s. His parents were both educators and University of Michigan graduates. That family emphasis on learning ran deep. One paternal uncle graduated in the university’s first class after it moved to Ann Arbor and became the first Methodist missionary to China, while another was in the early medical school graduating class. These stories helped shape Collins’ own path. He started at Flint Junior College, transferred to the University of Michigan, and earned his bachelor’s degree in 1960.
After a short stint with the Social Security Administration and Army Reserve service, he completed a master’s in psychology at Kent State University, where he met his wife, Sherron T. Fox, a chemistry graduate student. The couple married and later raised two children together. Robert W. Collins went on to Indiana University for his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. It was during his doctoral work that he first made his mark. A patient struggling with bedwetting ahead of marriage led him to study the bedwetting alarm. His dissertation and 1973 paper in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology highlighted the importance of the proper conditioning sequence. The article became a frequently cited work in the field and opened doors, including a nine-month appointment as a visiting professor at the University of Western Australia.
Back in Michigan, Robert W. Collins joined the faculty at Grand Valley State University. He later founded the Psychological Services Center, serving families across the Lake Michigan shoreline. Referrals for bedwetting soon brought in cases of encopresis, fecal soiling in children past the usual age. He quickly saw that soiling created far more intense family stress than wetting because of the smell, shame, and social consequences. Parents and children often ended up locked in battles over sitting on the toilet, which only made the physical holding habit worse.
Robert W. Collins approached these issues through the lens of behavioral medicine. He viewed encopresis and enuresis as functional disorders involving both body and brain, specifically, a broken link between the urge to go and the actual response. Standard medical treatments helped many children, but he saw too many families still struggling after months or years on stool softeners and long toilet sits. His response was to develop a structured learning protocol built around daily practice to rebuild that natural connection.
In retirement, Robert W. Collins did not walk away from the work. Instead, he wrote The Clean Kid Manual, now in its ninth edition. Published under his Soiling Solutions® name, the manual lays out clear steps for parents, including what he calls the daily Power Hour. It emphasizes reliable cleanouts, consistent practice, and rebuilding confidence. The manual also includes support materials, success diaries, and access to parent forums where families can share experiences and get guidance. Robert W. Collins has maintained that these problems deserve both medical attention and careful behavioral retraining, and that addressing them early matters for the whole family.
Throughout his career, Robert W. Collins earned respect from colleagues. He served as president of the Michigan Psychological Association and the Michigan Society of Behavioral Medicine and Biofeedback. He presented at medical conferences, contributed a chapter to the Handbook of Mind-Body Medicine in Primary Care, and wrote about his internet-and-manual approach for the International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders.
Now in his later years, Robert W. Collins continues to make the manual and related resources available through encopresis.com. He and Sherron, his partner of many decades, also helped start Lamaze childbirth education programs in Grand Rapids. They enjoy time with their children and granddaughter.
What sets Robert W. Collins apart is his practical focus. He never lost sight of the real distress these conditions cause families. His writing and protocols reflect a psychologist who believes children can relearn these fundamental skills when given the right structure, support, and consistent daily experience. For many parents who have felt stuck between medical advice and daily struggles, his work has offered a clear, hopeful path forward.
