Hi There! I’m Robert, and I’m so happy to be part of this adventure called Vine and Branches. Here’s some things about me:

1. My wife calls me Bob sometimes.

2. So many things in life interest me, from the brain and theories of why people interact the way they do, to ancient Near Eastern history and the study of ecology. I love to read just about any kind of book.

3. I got into the world of therapy because of my love for Jesus. He was a fascinating person that knew who he was, who he belonged to, and how to speak into the depths of the human condition.

4. I chose to study marriage and family therapy because a fundamental conviction of mine is that most problems in life stem from a relational origin. I was really intrigued early on by the idea that a child’s mental health problems could be a symptom of a marriage that was not the most healthy, and I am an absolute geek about this field.

5. I also have a master’s degree in biblical counseling, and love combining the resources of Christian spirituality with conventional therapy. But, if that’s not for you, no worries. I won’t force it onto you.

6. I want to love running, but I’m not quite there yet.

7. I’ve been married for over a decade, and have four children.

I offer the following services:

• Couples therapy

• Family therapy

• Individual therapy

• Christian counseling

• Pre-marital counseling

• Marriage enrichment counseling

Session Costs:

Couples & Families: I charge $120 per session. For couples, this is 60 dollars per person, well below average for counseling services.

Individuals: I charge $90 per session.

Costs include outside-session time spent conceptualizing and planning to maximize our time together and reduce your overall costs.

We do offer a sliding scale fee for anyone in need.

• Couples issues

• Attachment problems

• Parenting struggles

• Family dynamics

• Depression

• Anxiety

• Developmental and relational trauma

• General trauma and traumatic stress

• Problematic childhood behavior

• ADHD

• Faith and spiritual topics

• Leadership coaching

• Personal growth and development

In light of my education and license, I have the most knowledge and experience in working with couples and families.

In the past, I worked as a recovery coach for a community mental health center, and am comfortable working with those who are struggling with addiction, but I would not call myself an expert in this area. If we’re a good fit for each other, then we can explore what it would be like to work together, keeping in mind that I’ll work hard to expand my knowledge, as well as evaluate regularly to make sure that we are the best path forward for you.

My bachelor’s degree is in religion, and I serve as a pastor alongside a number of wonderful men and women at a local church. I am quite familiar with the strain of high-level leadership, and have a passion for helping leaders and their families navigate the complexity of living and leading from the light yoke of Jesus in a world that is full of burden and stress.

License & Supervision Information:

• Marriage and family therapist, Ohio (M.2300278).

• Supervised by Erin Thomas, independent marriage and family therapist supervisor (IMFT-S), and Brian Strozewski, licensed professional clinical counselor supervisor (LPCC-S) and certified clinical adventure therapist (CCAT)

Education:

• MMFT, Abilene Christian Universtiy

• MA, Biblical Counseling, Luther Rice Graduate School

• BS, Religion, Liberty University

For those interested, or for other therapists looking for a potential referral source, here’s some info on how I conceptualize problems and solutions in therapy.

• My primary orientation is systemic in nature. This means that I view problems as not arising from individual psychopathology, but from an interplay between individual, relational, community, and cultural factors. Of course, there are cases when a problem has a single and identifiable etiology. If only it were always that simple! I never want to overcomplicate something, but I also want to be aware of factors outside of typical perception that may be influential.

• Beyond this, I have found immense help in using attachment frameworks, and experiential models such as Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) and Attachment-Based Family Therapy. In my thought, it’s a major win if I can help clients experience a new reality in vivo, not just talk about what could be or what they will do at home.

• For couples, I lean heavily on EFT, Integrative Behavioral Couple Therapy, and Imago Relationship Therapy. I am also trained in levels 1 and 2 of the Gottman approach, although I find that it’s not the right fit for me personally as a primary framework.

• For children, I find myself gravitating towards integrative approaches, such as what Mona Delahooke does. I also enjoy different forms of play therapy, such as Child-Centered Play Therapy, Theraplay, and Filial Therapy.

• For all people, I naturally find myself utilizing concepts and interventions from postmodern theories such as Narrative Therapy and Collaborative Language Systems Therapy, along with the strengths-based perspective of solution-focused models, and the intergenerational consideration of those such as Murray Bowen and Ivan Boszormenyi-Nagy.

• I have also been influenced by some of the more intriguing ideas by thinkers such as Carl Jung. One of the wisest men I know introduced me to the fourth way teachings laid out by G. I. Gurdjieff, and systematized by P. D. Ouspensky.

• From the classic family therapy field, I am in debt to all who wrote about the concepts of first- and second-order change, and I keep structure in mind as families attempt to make shifts.

• For clients wanting to incorporate Christian spiritual resources, we might utilize inner-healing prayer, spiritual warfare concepts, and theological considerations that can either directly address why you’re coming to therapy, or maximize the impact of any other form of treatment.

• I am not a mind-body dualist. I lean heavily into works such as The Body Keeps the Score, and some concepts from Internal Family Systems Therapy that integrate our somatic experience, relational health, and individual psyches.

• Going further, I appreciate the work of Dan Siegel in his Interpersonal Neurobiology schema on how the mind is an emergent process formed through relationships.

• Some works that have shaped my view of treating trauma include Transcending Trauma and The End of Trauma. Of course, not all trauma is created equal, so my approach will vary in accordance with the context and needs.

• Lastly, it might be helpful for some to know that I see value in holistic treatment, team approaches, natural medicine, and simple shifts that create new possibilities for people. The traditional medical model has done an enormous amount of good for our world, but it’s not always a 1:1 application when it comes to the inner world of the psyche (or for couples who are feeling betrayed, hurt, and angry!). We need creativity, curiosity, caution, and compassion as we work with clients to enact change.

At the end of the day, I’m less interested in how to force my model(s) onto a presenting problem, and more interested in learning what will work for each individual client. I know that approach would drive some crazy, but it allows me to connect with clients in a way that I can bring the real me to the table, and work from a place of genuine service and care.