Robert has worked in mental health and vocational rehabilitation services for over 30 years. His positions have primarily focused on inclusion of individuals with psychiatric disabilities in the workplace. Areas of expertise include Comprehensive Vocational Assessments, Job Placement Practices, Worksite Accommodations and Employer and Employee Work Incentives. Robert is also skilled in Assistive Technology and regularly participates in trainings to upgrade his knowledge.

Robert's undergraduate degree is in Social Work from Cal Poly Humboldt (formerly Humboldt State University). He also has a minor emphasis in Native American Studies. Robert completed a Masters Degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from San Diego State University (SDSU).

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Robert is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) as well as a Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner (CPRP).  Robert went on to fulfill all of the requirements to become a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) through the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. He was the first SDSU Graduate to obtain the LPCC Licensure (LPCC #296). As Robert has moved with his spouse to the Palm Coast area of Florida, he completed the requirements to become fully licensed as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in the State of Florida (LMHC #MH24710).

 

Robert was employed as an Adjunct Faculty member at SDSU’s Rehabilitation Counseling Program for 12 years (2008-2020).  During that time Robert taught Rehabilitation Counseling courses in the Graduate Clinical Counseling program for Masters Degree Rehabilitation Counseling Students, as well as Credentialed Special Education Teachers completing a Masters Level Vocational Rehabilitation Certification. Robert is also a published author of an article on Traumatic Brain Injury in the Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling. 

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In 2020 Robert participated in the required training and clinical requirements to become a member of the IMMH (Integrated Medicine for Mental Health). IMMH practitioners follow identified ethical guidelines and work with individuals who are interested in non-medication treatments for mental health conditions. In addition, IMMH registered therapists work with clients towards individualized goals of titrating down or off of psychiatric medications, with the assistance of integrated medicine physicians, specialty pharmacists and other providers.

 

Robert has maintained an affiliation with the San Diego Catholic Diocese and is on a panel of identified therapists who possess the ability to bring a spiritual component to psychotherapy to support healing. Licensed Therapists on the San Diego Diocese Office of Social Ministry Referral Panel make an effort to bring a faith-based component to the therapeutic process. While Robert is a Catholic, he is also one who respects all beliefs. He is non-judgmental towards alternative lifestyles and believes in the saying "there is strength in our diversity". 

 

Robert is able to provide alternatives to 12 step-based programs and believes that with the right tools you can indeed learn to "manage" your life. The concept of being powerless over everything (peoples, places and things) is an outdated and unrealistic premise. Robert also uses a Harm Reduction model, which means your treatment is specifically tailored to you, and in some cases individuals find out that labeling theories where they are required to identify as an alcoholic or an addict are detrimental to the therapeutic process and individual growth.