I provide collaborative telehealth counseling for male individuals and couples whose lives have been shaken by grief, relationship struggles, and shattered dreams. The unresolved pain and fear that come from just doin’ life often fuel behaviors that damage relationships—and can make life feel like a “cardboard dirt sandwich with a side of sawdust.” Using Narrative Therapy, I help clients separate themselves—and their loved ones—from the problems they face. We externalize the issues rather than internalize them. You are not the problem. Other people are not the problem. Problems are the problem. Your challenges don’t define you, but the way you interpret, address, and live with them profoundly shapes your identity, self-worth, emotional well-being, and behavior. I also draw from Existential, Rational-Emotive Behavioral, Client-Centered, and Gestalt Therapy approaches to empower you to become the expert on you. Together, we’ll reconnect with your values, dreams, skills, and desires—and design a life that reflects who you truly are and what you truly want.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Our first session is all about connection. Research consistently shows that the relationship between counselor and client is the most important factor in successful therapy. I truly admire your courage in taking this first step—opening up to someone new takes bravery. During this initial conversation, I want to learn what’s going on in your world and what brought you here. We’ll discuss your goals, and I’ll share my therapeutic approach, philosophy, and style so we can determine if I’m the right fit to support you. As a strengths-based counselor, I work to normalize what we often call “LIFE”—the challenges, changes, and chaos that come with being human. With humor and a narrative, storytelling lens, I help people build the psychological fitness skills that support a more fulfilling life. My own journey includes recovery from addiction, rebuilding after financial collapse, and navigating the profound grief of losing two of my four children. These personal experiences, alongside my clinical work in ERs, Community Mental Health, and Private Practice—and my work as a teacher and keynote speaker—have shaped my ability to walk alongside others as they design the life they truly want to live.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I am a strengths-based counselor who seeks to normalize what we call 'LIFE.' Using humor and a narrative, life-story approach, I help people develop and refine the psychological-fitness skills needed to improve the quality of their lives. I’ve lived through many challenges myself—recovery from addiction, rebuilding after financial devastation, and grieving the loss of two of my four children, who passed away far too soon. These experiences, combined with my personality, clinical training, and professional background, shape the way I work with clients. In addition to my counseling practice, I’ve gained clinical experience in a variety of settings, including ERs, Community Mental Health, and Private Practice. I’ve also had the privilege of teaching and touring as a keynote speaker, sharing insights and stories from my own life and professional work. Drawing from these personal and professional experiences, I aim to help people plan for and achieve the life they’ve always wanted. Together, we work to develop new perspectives, embrace challenges, and build the skills needed to navigate life with greater confidence and meaning.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I work with male individuals and couples who struggle with anxiety that often fuels anger, relationship conflict, and addictive behaviors. At the end of the day, counseling works best when you're willing to lean in. I create a supportive, collaborative space that encourages active engagement—because the more you put into the process, the more meaningful and lasting the results.
About Bob Zima
Specializes in
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Narrative
Narrative therapy seeks to separate us from our problems. In narrative therapy, problems are problems while people are people. People are never problems. We are never the problem. Our family and friends are never the problem. The problem is the problem. By sharing life stories of the past, present, and future I help clients disconnect themselves from the dysfunctional behaviors, unwanted emotions, and lousy outcomes that sometimes plague their lives.
Reality Therapy
Plan. Do. Check. Act. These are four basic steps that can miraculously improve the quality of our lives. When it comes to creating better coping, problem-solving, and communication skill sets, we must plan. We must implement new skills and strategies. We must check out the effectiveness and efficiency of these skills and strategies, and when necessary modify and adjust. Reality therapy helps us make a reasonable and executable plan to improve the quality of our lives.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
We think. We feel. We act. When in a therapy session, Thinking, feeling and acting are discussed in a linear fashion. The reality is that life is process oriented and circular. Understanding how our thoughts Drive automatic emotions which are then expressed through behaviors is a key to improving our overall mental wellness. if we change how we think we will change how we feel and we will change how we act ultimately leading to different outcomes.
Motivational Interviewing
If a baseball bat worked to motivate people to make changes, I'd use it. But it doesn't. I use Motivational Interviewing because this theory respects the reality that most of us find change a bit difficult and occasionally unappealing. I use motivational interviewing to explore the possibilities of change and how, if those changes are possible, my client's lives may be different, healthier, and more enjoyable.
Humanistic
There isn't a single research study in the world that doesn't support that the therapeutic and professional relationship between counselor and counsel is the single most important factor in therapy being effective. In session, I am me, warts and all. I strive to be authentic, genuine, and transparent and I seek the same for my clients as we connect and work.