Spring Psychological Services
Dare to Grow
Robin Casey, PsyD
Hi and welcome! As someone who has always appreciated a good backstory, which is fortunately an asset in my profession, I’ll share a bit of mine with you. I initially pursued a career as a psychologist because from a young age, I had a calling to ease emotional suffering in the lives of others. It also suited me well - I had an ear for unspoken emotion, the capacity for nuance, and a desire to talk about the things we often skirt around.
Over the years I’ve gradually allowed myself to listen to another calling which is to help prevent problems before they arise and promote well-being beyond the absence of mental illness. I’ve come to appreciate that preventing struggles before they take root and helping others soar on the other side of suffering are equally as important as the treatment that may occur in between. That’s the full power of psychology and that’s the philosophy behind Spring Psychological Services. My hope is not that my clients “feel better.” My deepest hope is that they thrive.
In my work as a therapist I help individuals lean into difficult emotions, have tough and productive conversations with others, and learn to take care of the mind, body, and spirit on a regular basis. My practice is focused on relationship issues, substance use, eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and childhood trauma. My therapeutic style is supportive, honest, and collaborative - with a healthy dose of humor once I’ve been working with someone for a while. I consider each client’s medical history, earliest and most recent relationships, cultural experiences, and identity when working together to develop a treatment plan.
Over the course of my career I've worked with clients in university counseling centers, a violence prevention program, an outpatient center for eating disorders, large healthcare organizations, and private practice. I’ve served in leadership roles, helped develop programs for substance use disorders, and provided supervision for psychologists in training. I still enjoy learning new things within my profession which has resulted in becoming board certified in lifestyle medicine, skilled in motivational interviewing, and certified in compassion fatigue.
Outside of work, I spend time with my husband and our two young children. I’m often running after and schlepping my children around town. Some days I love it, and some days I recite the serenity prayer. I love good conversation, trail running, cooking, reading, and writing.
At the end of the day, I enjoy working with clients who are courageously trying to understand their emotions, their relationships, and their own behaviors. These are generous human beings. If you think about it, when a person pursues inner growth, it’s a gift to everyone around them. It’s been said that therapy is an inside job. I believe that’s true. It’s also true that the reach is far and wide. Please feel free to contact me if you’d like to get started.
Allison Christopher, PsyD
Welcome to Spring! I am one of the psychologists here, and I’m so glad you’re considering therapy with us. Deciding to try therapy is a leap of faith, both faith in your therapist and also faith in yourself and in your ability to improve your life. Thank you for letting us join you on this journey!
A bit about myself: after completing a Bachelor’s degree in English, I realized that while reading and writing were interesting to me, what really compelled me were people and their stories. I began graduate coursework in psychology, and never looked back! Much of my training and work experience has focused on the crossroads between mental and physical health, and on creating a healthy therapeutic relationship that promotes growth. I have previously worked in a variety of settings, including hospitals, private practices, and outpatient mental health clinics providing evidence-based assessment and therapy. I have helped build programs for substance use disorders as well as integrated behavioral health in primary care/outpatient medical settings. Most recently, I have been part of a task force to revamp behavioral healthcare delivery within a major medical system. I have presented lectures on a variety of subjects, with topics such as non-suicidal self-injury, providing behavioral health services within integrated settings, assessment of transgender individuals, and critical incident stress debriefing. Currently, my practice focuses on anxiety, depression, substance use, relationships, trauma, disordered eating, and other health concerns (e.g., sleep problems, adjusting to new medical diagnoses, etc.).
My primary task as a psychologist is to foster a supportive, collaborative environment where we are able to identify and work towards meaningful goals. In order to accomplish that, I utilize a broad array of strategies and therapeutic methods that are tailored to your particular presenting concerns, with an emphasis on individual differences, cultural humility, and inclusiveness. I focus first on listening, and I acknowledge that you are the expert of your own life and experience.
Together, we will collaborate to identify what is causing or perpetuating your distress and come up with strategies to improve your quality of life and help you thrive. Sometimes, the most effective way to do this is to (at least temporarily) “choose discomfort.” Although this sounds counterintuitive, it really isn’t, I promise! I look forward to working with you!