Robin is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who has graduated with a Master's in Clinical Psychology from Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA. She has a background in behavioral health, education, transitional youth, addiction and recovery services, and suicide prevention.

She has worked with couples who have adult children struggling with ASD, ADHD, addiction, depression, and anxiety. She has experience working in diverse cultures and backgrounds in outpatient clinics, large healthcare systems, and private practices. She believes everyone has a voice and deserves to feel safe, respected, and heard. Robin encourages her clients to connect by offering a safe, nurturing environment, enabling clients to feel supported and valued.

Life experience

With 30 years of marriage and parenting four children. Robin's personal experience has given her a unique perspective to help her clients explore, reconnect, and rediscover their "sparkle." She understands the challenges of working, parenting, and finding time for self-care while strengthening personal and professional relationships.

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Working with couples

She works with couples, individuals, and family systems to develop improved communication, respect, and love. She helps couples and individuals through life transitions such as a new home, first child, loss of career, or loss of a loved one by exploring coping skills to reduce stressors and move towards healing. In addition, Robin works with couples to become more self-aware of their behavior and how it affects their loved ones.

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Robin's approach to therapy

Robin's approach is humanistic and creates a safe and non-judgmental environment for her clients to communicate openly. She has worked with families and children by guiding her clients towards rewarding and harmonious connections. She specializes in working with couples and individuals who want to improve their relationships, reduce stress, and make realistic goals with solution-focused therapy, positive communication, self-awareness, and self-care. Robin uses evidence-based therapeutic approaches by helping her clients to focus on building solutions by providing emotional and psychological safety to foster positive motivation and change.

NEURODIVERSE RELATIONSHIPS

The Basics:

Neurodiverse couples have one partner that is neurotypical and one partner who has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Neurodiverse couples can have different communication styles and perspectives, making intimate and loving relationships a challenge. However, neurodiverse couples can grow together by finding meaningful connections, focusing on their preferences, and learning to understand each other better.

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Based on the goals of the Neurodiverse couple, Robin will help support stronger relationships and work on problem-solving skills. Couples will learn to focus on new ways to celebrate each other, reconnect, and interpret intention successfully. Through acceptance, education, and self-awareness, couples will practice relating to each other to create a more harmonious relationship.

Common Symptoms:

In adults, some common symptoms of ASD might look like: having difficulties interpreting facial expressions, interpreting body language, or understanding the social cues of others. Regulating emotions during conversations, reflecting emotions through vocal inflection, and engaging in repetitive behaviors might be challenging for someone with ASD. In addition, individuals with ASD may have specific and/or extreme interests and routines. The interests of individuals on the spectrum may seem obsessive, such as spending large amounts of time engaging in only certain activities under certain circumstances.  

Difference Turned into Strength:

With these challenges, how can neurodiverse couples expand and enhance their relationship? Neurodiverse couples can use their different perspectives as strengths to shift away from conflict and understand each other’s thoughts and perspectives. Because everyone sees the world differently, a neurodiverse couple has a unique perspective. Each partner has a different way of thinking, different brain wiring, and experiences. While the neurodiverse couple may face challenges, having different ways of viewing situations and experiences can bring new and comprehensive perspectives. Neurodiverse couples can develop an awareness of their unique perspectives and accept their differences as a value rather than an annoyance.

For example, each partner can see different ways of interacting or completing tasks. Working out tasks together can be an opportunity rather than a challenge for the neurodiverse couple to work together to become more tolerant of each other’s way of thinking. Having both shared and individual interests can encourage the neurodiverse couple’s autonomy and enhance the quality of life. Through acceptance and commitment, the neurodiverse couple can see each other through a new lens.

Trust and Emotional Safety:

Couples therapy can help the neurodiverse couple by finding how to deepen trust and understand how each partner views their experiences. By creating emotional safety and acceptance, couples therapy can help the neurodiverse couple to develop goals. Bringing importance to each partner and their intentions allows the neurodiverse couple to focus on their differences as a strength. Acceptance and commitment can help to increase feelings of compassion, connection, love, and happiness.

Specialties

•  Neurodiverse Counseling (ASD and ADHD)

•  Couples and individual life transitions

•  Discernment Counseling

•  Pre-marital Counseling

•  Depression and Anxiety

•  Grief, loss, and shame

•  Self-forgiveness

Clients

Couples, Elder Couples, Individuals

Modalities

Solution Focused Therapy (SFBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Family System Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Humanistic Approach 

 License

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT #149872

Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452

Employed by New Path Couples Therapy Inc.