Today we’d like to introduce you to Erin Robbins.
Hi Erin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
There are so many threads that led me to the where i am today and i am grateful to have managed listened to them all, for better or worse! some were very painful and yet transformative. i have always been an empath, a listener, an observer and developed a fascination with human behavior at a very young age, likely as a means for emotional survival. one of the first catalysts on my path was talking and visiting with my grieving, dying grandfather in my early 20’s- this unearthed my fascination with human stories and with grief. shortly thereafter, i discovered feminism in college and it lit a fire under me like nothing i had felt before. i became an activist and a leader as a result and that fire stayed with me, even as i went on to try out some ill fitting corporate gigs after college. it wasn’t until after 9/11 when i found a job working with young adults with learning and developmental disabilities that i discovered that social work was my calling. after graduating from nyu with an MSW my desires led me back to those original conversations with my grandfather, and the pull to work with older folks and death and dying was powerful. i landed at a non profit in nyc that counseled cancer patients, caregivers and people who were grieving a loved one. it was treacherous and beautiful work and after 10 years of that i transitioned to a company that was doing experimental, cutting edge end of life work using Motivational Interviewing. This role was transformative because i was guiding a team of social workers and counselors to navigate end of life discussions and advanced directives with patients and families. it required a great deal of vulnerability and fortitude and i left there with a newfound mission to go out on my own. i dug deep to begin to explore and craft my practice which weaves in grief, loss, feminism and women’s mental health. Ive been practicing on my own now for 8 years and am especially struck by the organic way clients come to me. It seems that the moment I begin to earnestly understand and work through a particular struggle in my own life, clients with those same struggles literally appear looking for help with these things. This includes Adult Children of Narcissists, Women with ADHD and most recently Perimenopause and all its lovely tendrils! I love how dynamic the work of psychotherapy is and that I can use my own curiosity (and training and practice) to weave through the darkness with people. Its very gratifying work and i am fortunate and proud to be able to work in my own way, on my terms- it is a very special and rare thing to love what you do. I feel I am helping to elicit change in folks that reverberates with so many of the people they touch. Lots of good trouble!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
oh hell yes to challenges and obstacles! social work is one of the lowest paying jobs and it requires an advanced degree. my finances always required a great deal of creativity and finesse (and often panic). though the work with cancer patients was extremely meaningful, the workplace was terribly abusive. i became depressed while doing that work and it took a great deal of pain and hard work to heal and recover. i was let go from the end of life job- the lay offs were real but Im sure that my outspoken nature and refusal to dilute my values contributed to that decision. i felt so rejected at the time.. and scared… but i grew from that so much!
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
i am a psychotherapist in private practice and i help mostly women and some men. the work is mostly focused around women who are late diagnosed (in adulthood) with adhd, perimenopause, mid life transformation, existential confrontations, family dynamics, marriage and adult children of narcissists.
i am a very authentic person- my work and my sessions with clients reflect that. this really strengthens the relationships and enables trust. I am also brave… not afraid to ask the hard questions and forage for the meaty parts, the stuff that’s hidden behind a repetitive pattern or statement or narrative. i’m good at getting to that and i think it makes my clients feel seen and heard (and they are!).
i created my website, soup to nuts, all on my own. i am proud of the copy/writing and how it seems to draw people in- i am happy with the design of it too- it’s all mine, i didn’t hire anyone to do it for me which felt like a big win. i also have an office in millburn where i’ve created a calming, peaceful sanctuary that speaks to people, helps them feel at ease.
i would love for folks to know that the connection is everything in therapy- training and experience obviously matter too- but if that synergy is not there, the work won’t be impactful. Im a big believer in this which is why it’s very important to me to have a conversation together before you commit to therapy with me so we can feel each other out to see if it’s a fit. If it is and if you’re someone who is struggling with grief of any kind (we experience grief in so many stages of our lives- not just in death), i will be your strongest ally and will walk alongside you and elicit you to look at what your truth is… the hardest thing to do. and to understand your own longings, sadnesses and hurdles so you can begin to evolve. it hurts to evolve and grow, and its the only way to do so!
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
ask all the questions! be so curious! do all the networking and connecting you can and just learn, learn, learn from people who have come before you. do your research. outward and inward. Learn about yourself especially. what do you really care about? what matters to you? what makes you feel alive? are you aligning with your values? And get an LLC to protect yourself!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.erinrobbinspsychotherapy.com
- Instagram: @yourbravestself
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinrobbinspsychotherapy
