Tabatha Robledo, MHC-LP

I’m not the kind of therapist who just sits back and nods. My clients tell me I’m welcoming but direct – I’ll be a steady presence when you need to talk things through, and I’ll also be honest with you when it’s time to take action. I don’t pretend to know everything, but I can usually help you figure out what feels right for you.

I originally wanted to be a forensic psychologist. I was all set to go to grad school for it until I realized that I was more interested in helping people put their lives back together than I was in figuring out what went wrong after everything fell apart. So I switched to counseling and it was the best decision I ever made.

My forensic background still influences how I practice because I take an investigative approach to therapy. I want to understand the whole picture first – what’s going on, what’s missing, where the gaps are. I ask a lot of questions because you can’t solve a puzzle when you’re only looking at some of the pieces.

I also work with people dealing with relationship issues. I focus on how our relationships shape our mental health. Whether we’re talking about partners, friends, family, or the therapeutic relationship itself, relationships are foundational to the way we live.

I use a mix of person-centered therapy and cognitive-behavioral approaches – DBT, ACT, regular CBT – depending on what you need. But the technique matters less than us actually connecting and you feeling heard.

One thing people don’t expect about my sessions is that we laugh. Therapy doesn’t have to be this serious, heavy thing all the time. Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs happen when we can find some humor in the middle of all the hard stuff.

I work with teenagers (13 and up) and adults, both individually and as couples. My ideal client doesn’t have everything figured out, but they’re curious, honest and willing to do the work even when it gets uncomfortable.

Outside of work, I exercise in the mornings because it gets me energized for the day, and I knit because sometimes your brain just needs something calming to focus on. These activities help to keep me balanced.

My favorite saying is “change happens when insight meets action.” Understanding why you do something is great, but you actually have to do something with that understanding for anything to change in your life.

If you’re tired of therapists who just ask “how does that make you feel”, we should talk. Because if you’re coming to therapy, you deserve someone who listens and helps you figure out what to do next.