LPC, 25 years of experience
New to Grow
Hi, I’m Robert, a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than 24 years of experience helping people find balance, healing, and purpose in their lives. I work with individuals who are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and major life transitions. My approach is compassionate and collaborative. I believe therapy should feel safe, supportive, and deeply personal. Together, we’ll explore the patterns, emotions, and experiences that shape your life, and work toward creating meaningful, lasting change. I draw from evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Each session is tailored to your goals, pace, and comfort level—whether that means learning practical coping skills, processing painful experiences, or developing greater self-understanding. I view therapy as a partnership. My role is to help you build insight, strengthen resilience, and uncover the tools within yourself to move forward with confidence and clarity. Growth takes courage, but you don’t have to do it alone. If you’re ready to make a change, I’m here to help you take that next step toward a calmer, more grounded, and fulfilling life.
Beginning therapy is a meaningful step, and it’s natural to feel a mix of hope, curiosity, and nerves. My goal is to make our first session calm, collaborative, and easy to navigate — a space where you can simply arrive as you are. You don’t need to have everything figured out; we’ll take it one step at a time, together. Our first session is about connection. We’ll talk about what’s bringing you here — what’s been difficult, what feels heavy, or what you’d like to change. You’re welcome to share as much or as little as feels right. Sometimes just putting words to what you’ve been carrying brings a sense of relief. You’ll also have time to ask questions about me, my approach, or the therapy process. I believe therapy should feel transparent and grounded, not mysterious or clinical. I use an Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach, which helps us explore the different “parts” of you — the sides that may be anxious, protective, hurt, or tired. Each part has a reason for being there, often shaped by your experiences. We’ll work together to understand these parts with compassion rather than judgment. Over time, you’ll begin to access your inner calm, clarity, and confidence — what IFS calls the “Self.” Depending on your needs, we might talk about what’s been hardest lately, what you’d like to focus on, and what a sense of healing or balance might look like for you. If you’re healing from trauma, grief, or substance use, we’ll go slowly and focus on building safety first. Therapy is never about forcing yourself to share; it’s about moving at a pace that feels right for you. It’s common to leave the first session feeling thoughtful, relieved, or even a little tired — opening up takes energy. My hope is that you’ll also leave feeling heard and understood, with a sense that you no longer have to carry everything alone. I bring warmth, steadiness, and humor to my work because healing doesn’t always have to feel heavy. Together, we’ll start creating a space where insight, growth, and lightness can coexist — a space that’s just for you.
With more than 24 years of experience, I’ve learned that therapy works best when it feels real. My clients describe me as calm, grounded, and easy to talk to — someone who helps them open up without feeling pressured or judged. I see therapy as a place where you can exhale, drop your guard, and start making sense of what’s really going on. I blend Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) because both help people grow in meaningful ways. IFS allows us to explore your inner world — the anxious parts, the protectors, the perfectionists, and the parts that are just plain tired. We learn to listen to them instead of fighting them. When those parts finally feel heard, things begin to shift. CBT adds a practical side to that work — helping you recognize unhelpful thought patterns and habits and replace them with ones that better serve you. Together, these approaches help you understand yourself more deeply while also giving you real tools to handle life’s challenges. A big part of my work involves helping people through grief and trauma. These experiences can shake how we see ourselves and the world. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting or “getting over it” — it’s about learning to carry what’s happened with compassion and strength. We go at your pace, with safety and trust guiding the process. I’m especially passionate about working with LGBTQ+ clients and military veterans. As a proud, out gay man, I know how powerful it can be to be seen and accepted for who you truly are. My practice is a fully affirming space where every part of you is welcome — a place to explore identity, belonging, and authenticity without fear of judgment. As a veteran of the United States Air Force, I also bring a deep understanding of the unique challenges that come with military service and the transitions that follow. Veterans often carry both pride and pain, and my goal is to help you find balance, purpose, and peace in your next chapter. Clients often tell me they appreciate my mix of warmth, steadiness, and humor. Therapy can absolutely go deep, but it doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time. A little humor — used with care — can make space for connection and remind us that lightness still belongs, even in the hard moments. My style is active, down-to-earth, and collaborative. I show up as a real person — engaged, curious, and compassionate. I’ll help you explore what’s happening beneath the surface, share insights and tools you can use right away, and walk alongside you as you reconnect with your own strength and wisdom. In short, I bring decades of experience, a veteran’s perspective, and a genuine belief that healing doesn’t mean changing who you are — it means rediscovering the calm, confident self that’s been there all along.
I work best with people who are ready to look inward and begin a journey toward genuine healing and self-understanding. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling stuck — they’ve done the “right” things, tried to stay strong, cared for others, and kept life moving, yet still carry anxiety, sadness, or a sense of disconnection that won’t go away. Together, we slow things down and begin to listen — not just to the outer pressures of life, but to the inner voices and emotions that have been waiting to be heard. Using an Internal Family Systems (IFS) approach, I help clients explore their inner world with curiosity and compassion. Instead of trying to “fix” or silence the parts of you that feel angry, anxious, or afraid, we get to know them. Each part carries a story and a reason for being — and when you learn to meet those parts with kindness, lasting healing begins to unfold naturally from within. I specialize in helping people work through grief, loss, and trauma — whether from recent events or long-held experiences that continue to echo through daily life. Trauma can leave parts of us feeling frozen in time, while grief can reshape how we see ourselves and the world. My role is to help you gently reconnect with those wounded parts, to find safety, meaning, and movement again. I’m especially passionate about working with LGBTQ+ clients and anyone navigating questions of identity, belonging, or authenticity. My practice is an affirming, inclusive space where every part of you is welcome — including the ones that have been silenced, hidden, or shamed. Together, we create room for your true self to emerge, grounded in acceptance and self-trust. My ideal clients share a few things in common: they’re thoughtful, open-minded, and willing to explore beneath the surface. They may not have all the answers (none of us do), but they’re ready to be honest with themselves and curious about why certain patterns keep showing up. They value self-growth, even when it’s uncomfortable, and they recognize that real change begins with compassion, not criticism. Whether you’re working through trauma, grief, identity, or simply wanting to feel more whole and present in your life, I bring warmth, steadiness, and a touch of humor to the process. I believe therapy doesn’t have to feel heavy all the time — moments of laughter and lightness can be just as healing as the deeper work. I see therapy as a collaborative space — a place to reconnect with your inner wisdom, heal old wounds, and rediscover the calm, confident self that’s been there all along.
I use Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help clients identify and understand their inner parts, connect with their core Self, and foster harmony within. This approach promotes healing, self-awareness, and emotional balance.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify and challenge unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. Together, we develop practical strategies to shift these patterns, reduce distress, and build healthier ways of thinking and coping.
I use grief therapy to help clients process loss, understand their emotions, and find meaning in their experience. Through compassionate support and personalized techniques, I guide them toward healing and integrating their grief into a renewed sense of self and life.
I use an eclectic therapy approach by drawing from multiple therapeutic modalities to best meet each client’s unique needs. This flexibility allows me to tailor techniques and interventions that support growth, healing, and lasting change.