Rob Pompa
I’m Rob Pompa, an LCSW and the owner of Pozitive Approach Counseling & Consultation Services. I work especially with gay men living with HIV, including men navigating aging, relationships, grief, trauma, chronic illness, sexuality, and the complicated business of figuring out who you are after life has changed you. My approach is warm, direct, trauma-informed, and very human. Therapy with me isn’t about fixing what’s “wrong” with you. It’s about understanding the patterns that helped you survive, deciding what still serves you, and building a life that feels more like your own. Sometimes, it is also simply about having someone willing to walk alongside you for part of the journey, to be present, to witness what you are carrying, and to stay with you while you make sense of what comes next.
First session
First sessions can be a little wonky, so we are not going to put a whole lot of pressure on getting everything right. There is usually some crossing of T’s and dotting of I’s, especially when insurance is involved, but mostly the first session is about meeting one another and beginning where you are. That is basic social work to me: start with the person in front of you, not with some idea of where they “should” be. From a trauma-informed perspective, I am also paying attention to safety from the beginning. You do not have to tell me everything at once, and you do not have to push past what feels manageable just to make the session feel productive. My hope is that we can begin creating enough safety, trust, and connection to start figuring things out together. Whether I am working with an individual, couple, or family, I adjust the approach to the people in the room while keeping the same goal: understanding what is happening, what matters most to you, and where we might begin.
Strengths
I bring warmth, honesty, curiosity, and a strong ability to see the whole person, not just the diagnosis or presenting problem. I tend to notice patterns, connect the dots, and help people make sense of experiences that may have felt confusing or disconnected. I also bring lived experience, years of clinical work, and a deep respect for resilience without romanticizing what people have had to survive. I can be direct when needed, gentle when needed, and I try to create a space where people can be fully human without feeling judged, rushed, or reduced to a label. More than anything, I bring presence. I am willing to sit with complexity, help find a path forward, and walk alongside someone while they figure out what they want their life to become.
Ideal clients
My ideal client wants therapy to be a place for both understanding and movement. I especially enjoy working with gay men, PLHIV, as well as people navigating cancer survivorship, chronic illness, aging, relationships, sexuality, grief, trauma, identity, or major life transitions. Often, they have spent years adapting, surviving, taking care of others, or holding things together and are beginning to ask, “What do I want my life to look like now?” They may understand themselves intellectually but still feel caught in old patterns, loneliness, shame, fear, or uncertainty about what comes next. They are open to a collaborative and honest approach to therapy. They do not need to have everything figured out, but they are willing to be curious, reflect on patterns, try new ways of responding, and work toward a life that feels more authentic, connected, and their own.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use CBT flexibly to help clients notice connections among thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and the situations happening around them. We may look at patterns that keep repeating, question beliefs that no longer fit, experiment with different responses, or develop practical strategies for problems happening right now. I tend to use CBT as a tool rather than a rigid formula, adapting it to the person in front of me.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I draw from DBT when clients need practical ways to manage intense emotions, tolerate distress, communicate more effectively, or respond differently when they feel overwhelmed. We may work with mindfulness, emotional regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, or grounding skills. I use these tools selectively and collaboratively rather than expecting every client to follow a formal DBT program.
EMDR
I am trained in EMDR and draw from EMDR-informed principles when they are appropriate, particularly around trauma, patterns, triggers, resourcing, and understanding how past experiences can continue to shape the present. I do not assume that every client needs trauma processing or EMDR. We first establish safety, readiness, and a shared understanding of what the client wants from therapy, and then decide together what approaches may be useful.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
I use mindfulness to help clients slow things down enough to notice what is happening internally without immediately reacting to it. This may include noticing thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, urges, or patterns and developing greater choice in how to respond.
Motivational Interviewing
I use motivational interviewing when clients feel uncertain, conflicted, or stuck around change. Rather than telling someone what they should do, I help them explore what matters to them, what may be getting in the way, and what kind of change feels possible and meaningful.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
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Licensed in
- PennsylvaniaLicense CW017334