About Me
Dr. Rob Blackgrove has been practicing psychology since 1993 when he began working as an assistant behavioral specialist at Central State Hospital in Milledgeville, Georgia while completing his Masters’s Degree in Applied Psychology. Upon graduation in 1994, he began working as a counselor at Starting Pointe, a psychiatric stabilization unit within Dodge County Hospital, in Eastman, GA. Here, Dr. Blackgrove conducted psychosocial assessments, provided supportive counseling and therapy, and conducted group therapy sessions on a daily basis to patients who were in crisis and needed brief hospitalization for stabilization. After over a year, he began working at Peachbelt Community Mental Health Center in Warner Robins, GA, as a therapist on the Home Intervention Treatment Team (HITT). As a member of a 3-person treatment team, their responsibilities were to provide treatment and comprehensive support to adjudicated youth within the community. Using a combination of consistent support, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), play therapy, reality therapy, and family therapy, clients were empowered to make healthy choices and taught how to better get their needs met. During his time with HITT, the team lost zero clients to recidivism, and their efforts provided many youths and families with opportunities to improve their situations and future outlooks. After working with HITT for over a year, Dr. Blackgrove was recruited by neuropsychologist Dr. Timothy Fjordbak at Central State Rehabilitation Hospital (CGRH) in Macon, GA, and joined the Behavioral Medicine Team where he conducted neuropsychological testing and supportive therapy (individual, group therapy, family therapy) to patients who were recovering from neurological insults (traumatic brain injury, stroke or cerebrovascular accident/CVA), spinal cord injury, encephalitis, infection, various diseases, or orthopedic injuries. After working for over a year full-time at CGRH, he was accepted to and began his doctoral training in clinical psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology (FIT), and transferred to Sea Pines Rehabilitation Hospital in Melbourne, FL where he concurrently continued to work in behavioral medicine in the same capacity for the next 3 years. Additionally, Dr. Blackgrove continued to provide home intervention therapy sessions for at-risk youth while a student at FIT.
During his doctoral training, Dr. Blackgrove enhanced and refined his skills in cognitive behavioral therapy, couples therapy, family therapy, group therapy, and psychological assessment. He was trained in hypnosis and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to treat combat veterans and others who were suffering from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He worked as a couples and family therapy lab assistant to the Dean, provided group therapy to sexually abused youth, co-edited the alumni newsletter, worked at the Women’s Center, and treated students and members of the community at FIT’s counseling centers. All the while, he continued working in behavioral medicine and home therapy services. Upon completion of his academic work in 2000, Dr. Blackgrove was accepted to the University of Miami’s doctoral internship program at the Student Counseling Center. Here, he provided supportive counseling, psychotherapy, and psychological assessment services to students attending the university. He worked on the Sexual Assault Response Team, worked with the athletic department and conducted presentations on stress management and self-care to the athletes and staff, provided interviews for student radio, and conducted outreach to connect with students to help meet their diverse needs. Dr. Blackgrove is creative and found myriad ways to connect with students, such as partnering with a local comedy club to provide free passes for students who underwent screenings, sought support, or simply inquired about services available.
Having met his fiancee in South Florida and having developed an attachment to the natural beauty of South Florida and the blending of cultures, Dr. Rob sought a postdoctoral training opportunity in the Miami area that fit his needs. In 2001, he began working at Miami Counseling and Resource Center in Coral Gables, FL, where he provided individual, group, family, and couples therapy in addition to providing psychological testing services. He worked concurrently for the first year at Children’s Psychiatric Center, providing individual and family therapy to children with a variety of mood and behavioral issues. After becoming a licensed psychologist in 2002, Dr. Rob moved full-time to private practice. He provided treatment and assessment, in addition to postdoctoral supervision and clinical supervision to doctoral and masters level therapists. He earned his certification as a sex therapist in June of 2004 from the Florida Postgraduate Sex Therapy Institute, to be able to better address the multitude of issues that individuals and couples face in their intimate relationships.
In 2006, Dr. Blackgrove helped establish The Counseling Group (TCG) in Miami, FL, and served as the Director of Psychological Assessment until going into solo practice in early 2020. He now works remotely via Telehealth with adults and sees adolescents and children either in person or remotely from his home/back porch office. Here, clients can be engaged in a naturally relaxing environment. Dr. Blackgrove continues to blend therapeutic modalities, including CBT and play therapy, allowing him a chance to observe and teach clients how to manage their thoughts, emotions, and physicality during activities. Activities range from throwing a frisbee, playing catch, kicking around soccer balls, gardening, playing musical instruments, gaming, chess, and throwing soft tip darts, to whatever a client’s interests are and are feasible. All the while, Dr. Blackgrove teaches and coaches clients on deep breathing and mental focus activities that improve mood, management of stress, and performance in real-life situations.
Dr. Blackgrove has completed all 3 levels of the Gottman Couples Therapy method, has trained with Dr. Sue Johnson in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, and continues to receive additional training to further clinical skills, expertise, and knowledge of the latest treatment innovations for couples and individuals.
Dr. Blackgrove has been a member of the team and executive coach for the Center for Leadership at Florida Institute of Technology for over a decade and provides executive coaching sessions to professionals as part of their leadership development training. He also is an adjunct faculty member at the University of Miami, where he has taught a graduate-level Counseling and Sexuality course to future therapists.
In his free time, Dr. Rob enjoys spending time riding bikes and cooking with his wife and 2 children. He is a musician, artist, and writer, and greatly appreciates time on the water, at the beach, and in his garden growing rare fruits, peppers, and herbs. He is also an animal lover, and cares for pets as well as supporting community initiatives to increase awareness about nature and the beauty of our local ecosystems.