Bob Gillespie is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who enjoys working with a broad range of clients from young children to elderly adults and individuals as well as couples and families. Because relationships are responsible for our greatest joys and our greatest sorrows, he views individuals within the context of their relationships with their families, their work, their communities, and even themselves. He takes a multidimensional, holistic perspective of each person he sees.

Bob emphasizes developing a personal connection with each client by offering curiosity, warmth, and understanding. Research in psychotherapy has consistently shown that the most important contributors to success in therapy are the client’s level of engagement in therapy and the client’s positive view of the relationship with her/his therapist. As a result, Bob collaboratively structures and adapts sessions and treatment goals based on interactive conversations and feedback provided by clients.

After completing a rigorous 2-year clinical internship with the University of Massachusetts Hospital System in 2005, Bob was recruited to continue clinical work as a psychotherapist within the UMass system and co-led the Family Reflecting Team, an innovative family treatment using a team of therapists. At UMass, he also created two very popular, effective programs—an anger management group for men as well as a mindfulness-based stress reduction group for clients with a diverse range of problems. Relocating back to his home state of New Jersey in 2007, Bob worked as a Primary Therapist at the Catholic Charities Guidance Clinic in Trenton, NJ, providing therapy to children, adolescents, and adults.

Bob has presented regionally and nationally on trauma, addiction, and mindfulness-based treatment applications. In addition to his clinical work at Aroga, he conducts clinical research at Drexel University. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from Antioch University New England, and completed a 2-year post-graduate training at the Family Institute of Cambridge.