Robert Cale

To be honest, I have always been an empath, and so have felt called to show up for others. Given that I had been working in the mental health and social work worlds since 2008, earning my LCSW seemed like the next logical step. Also, I have been practicing energy work (akin to Reiki) since my early 20s, and presumed that earning my LCSW would hopefully reassure people that I could be trusted to provide legitimate, reliable support (and to help shake them of fears that I was a back-alley quack). I have found that my holistic practices and talk therapy feel like equally fulfilling fingers from the same hand, whereby I feel I am showering my clients with the care bear stare, so to speak.

I feel that many people are hesitant to engage in therapy because they perceive a stigma tied to seeking support. After all, the notion of "mentally ill" does have a negative connotation. The way I see it, though the process is not about fixing a broken thing, but rather enhancing one's alignment and fulfillment (and okay, yes, also confronting obstacles to those pieces). But if the focus is on "Where am I trying to get to and how will I know that I got there?" where our work is to simply close the gap between here and there, it can help us leave shame and judgements at the door, and perhaps even enable you to look forward to increased awareness and empowerment in your journey forward.

I feel I provide a safe space where shame and judgements are left at the door, and we will explore your wants, needs, and feelings with curiosity and compassion. I feel it's very much a co-created process, as you know more about you than I ever will. The work is also far more about our uncovering your truth than you adopting mine. With that said, I have a wide array of modalities and approaches I feel I have quite dialed in, and we can collaboratively determine which tools and approaches best suit your needs. My hope is that our work together will help you feel not only hear and validated, but also empowered and aware of how to eat the elephant on your own going forward.

I see this work as us walking side by side, with you gradually taking the lead with me supportively in your corner. If you have something pressing you wish to discuss in session, that will always take precedence. My job is ultimately to actively listen and hold space. With that said, if that's all I was doing, you'd inevitably say, "Robby, you're a nice guy. But I don't know how much we're actually getting done." To that end, I feel it's far more important to determine HOW you think rather than WHAT you think. So it tends to be important for us to explore unconscious limiting beliefs and emotions along with the conscious. You can also expect to learn clear and concise action steps (ranging from mindfulness exercises to creative writing prompts to holistic practices like meditation and breathwork) to help you regulate your emotions and reclaim your narrative.