About Kurt Robbins
Hello there, my name is Kurt Robbins and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Certified Addictions Professional and Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist. While those titles do tell quite a bit about why I am offering these services they don’t say much about the person behind them. So, here goes…
How I Started
I started in the helping professions in 1990- my first job was working as an assistant counselor at an adolescent addiction treatment facility. While this was my first job helping others, I already had many years of personal experience as a client receiving counseling before I was 9 years old to address alcoholism and addiction in my family and later grief counseling as a teenager after my father passed away. Over the years since, I continue to seek outside help as need arises- counseling is a powerful tool for gaining insight, objectivity and perspective inside and outside of primary personal and professional relationships. It is in those times where objective help just makes so much sense!
Infinite Paths
I find that there are an infinite number of paths a person may follow to grow from life’s challenges. Every event that happens in our lives is essentially an opportunity and a potential path to better living. This is the approach I use in my practice to help men and women find the gift and opportunity in what first appears as obstacles and problems preventing us from living a good quality of life.
I am very grateful for the counselors and psychotherapists who guided and supported my own personal growth over the years. Everyone, including counselors and other helping professionals, sometimes need outside help. I feel it’s important to let you know that I have been your side of this and know how uncomfortable it may be to open-up and resolve the issues and problems keeping you from your highest potential. That first job in the treatment center gave me a powerful lesson that I still use to this day: Seek help and stay connected. My experience with most people is that we desire to be connected in deeper and more meaningful ways to our spouses, friends, work and vocation. And to live in the present moment and draw out every bit of sweetness in what life offers us.
My Professional Experience
My professional experience over the years has included many different trainings in a variety of technique and psychological theory. I believe that the more I learn and experience, the more I bring back to my life and my patient’s treatment. Most recently, over the last 10 years, I have been training at the Wellness Institute in Seattle, Washington. This has been a unique opportunity as most trainings do not offer an experiential component. The different techniques using hypnotherapy were taught to me as both a patient and a therapist. This means that the work I do with you in therapy, I have also experienced as a patient myself. Why is this important? You may rest assured that you are working with a professional who has a big toolbox and the know-how to use it safely!
Today, I value and work hard to practice what I teach others: To be kind, genuine, thoughtful and especially mindful. Grow from Life’s Challenges is my approach to helping individuals and couples work through the obstacles and problems preventing a good quality of life.
Presently, my practice also offers some amazing personal growth workshops with more in developmental all the time. These are great for getting the most out of working in individual or couples therapy.
I look forward to meeting you on one of the many paths to living your best life.
Kurt began working in the mental health and social services field in 1990. In 1996, he graduated from the University of San Francisco where he earned a Masters degree in Counseling Psychology.
He became a California licensed marriage and family therapist in 2001 and 2004 in Florida by endorsement. Kurt is also a Certified Addictions Professional. In 2009, he completed his first year as a student at the Wellness Institute and become certified as an advanced Heart centered hypnotherapist. Between Florida and California, Kurt has been providing psychotherapy for over 20 years.
In addition to his time in private practice, Kurt spent the first half of his professional life developing and supervising innovative public health programs working with persons experiencing homelessness, addiction and serious and persistent mental health problems.
Licenses & Certifications
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (California) issued 2001 (MFC37667)
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (Florida) issued 2004 (MT2082)
- Certified Addiction Professional (Florida) issued 2005
- Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist Wellness Institute, since 2011.
- American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (AAMFT) Clinical Member