Meet Rob Kleiman, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Masters Certified Addiction Professional

 

I have been working in the mental health field for the past 12 years and have been practicing as a
Licensed Clinical Social Worker for the last 9 years. I also have been a practicing Masters Certified
Addiction Professional for the past 4 years. I find Substance Use Counseling to be extremely
rewarding; to help people learn who they are by helping them get through the painful and difficult
times of their life. I genuinely believe people are good-natured and may find themselves in a
predicament because they have made some poor decisions/choices. With the right guidance and
therapy, they can get back on track to living life to its fullest. I want to meet you where you are and
honor your process. I understand that trust is a vital part of the therapeutic relationship, and I would
be honored to hold a safe space for you to learn, grow and change. It would be my absolute honor
to help move you to a place of healing and restoration.

Specialties:

  • Substance Use
  • Depression
  • ADHD
  • Eating Disorders
  • Anxiety

 

My Approach

The therapy methods I use most often are Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or CBT and Motivational
Interviewing or MI. The primary purpose of CBT when treating substance use is to focus on the
relationships between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and learn to combat and reframe the negative
thoughts that drive you to use addictive substances.

Motivational Interviewing (MI) encourages you to identify your own reasons for sobriety. Instead of
being fueled by a desire to get “high,” MI helps you to stay motivated by helping you to reach your
deeper goals and aspirations.

Both interventions are evidence-based and have demonstrated much success in helping clients
develop healthier behaviors. Research also has shown that CBT and MI are effective treatment
modalities for those experiencing depression, anxiety, and ADHD.

ADHD is more than just impulsiveness and distractibility. As you encounter more situations in which
you feel unregulated, and out of control, you may develop negative thinking habits. Examples
include:

  • “I’m not good at that kind of thing.”
  •  “There’s no point in trying.”
  • “I’m not as smart as other people.”
  •  “I lose everything.”
  •  “I’ll never get my act together.”
  •  “Everything is just too difficult.”

CBT helps you reframe thoughts like these and change them to positive and proactive alternatives.
My ultimate goal is to identify the initial thought that led to your delays and change it to create a
positive pattern. Finding the right type of therapist is so important to help you learn effective coping
strategies that really work. You don’t have to continue to feel helpless and alone!

Experience & Education

I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in behavioral communication from Rollins College in 2010 and went on get my master’s degree in social work from the University of Central Florida in 2014. I became a Master’s Certified Addiction Professional in 2019. Additionally, I possess a certificate from UCF in Marriage and Couples counseling

Get To Know Rob

In my spare time, I enjoy golfing, exercising, going to the beach, volunteering, and collecting sports memorabilia. My wife and I have 4 children together and we live in Maitland, FL.