“Most people laugh at what they’re afraid to admit. That’s where we begin.”

Hi, I’m Robert — Founder of Family Forward Therapy, therapist, former stand-up comedian, and father of five.

​

Before becoming a therapist, I spent more than a decade making people laugh on stage and screen as a professional stand-up comedian and actor. These days, I still believe humor can be incredibly powerful—just with a little more intention and a lot more paperwork.

I founded Family Forward Therapy with a simple goal: to create the kind of therapy practice I would want my own family to go to.

​

That means therapy that feels human. A place where you don't have to worry about saying the “right” thing, where your therapist actually gets to know you, and where treatment is built around your life—not the other way around.

​

As the practice has grown, my role has grown with it. In addition to working directly with clients, I serve as the practice owner and clinical supervisor, mentoring therapists and helping ensure that the clinicians on our team provide compassionate, ethical, evidence-based care. I’m intentional about building a team with different backgrounds, experiences, personalities, and specialties so we can match clients with a therapist who genuinely fits their needs.

​

My Approach to Therapy

I work with children, teens, adults, couples, and families navigating the complicated parts of life—anxiety, depression, parenting stress, relationship problems, addiction, major life transitions, caregiver stress, big emotions, and those times when life simply feels like too much.

My approach is practical, collaborative, and down-to-earth. Depending on your needs, I incorporate evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, mindfulness and grounding techniques, strengths-based interventions, and psychoeducation.

​

But therapy with me isn't about clinical jargon or sitting silently while you do all the talking. We'll talk. We'll problem-solve. We'll identify patterns. I'll challenge you when it's helpful, support you when things are difficult, and probably make you laugh at least occasionally.

​

Experience & Training

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Stanford University and my Master of Social Work from the University of Texas at Arlington. I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Supervisor (LCSW-S) and Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (LCDC), with clinical social work licensure in multiple states including Texas, Minnesota, Illinois, Ohio and Pennsylvania.