Creative Counseling Connection, LLC

Rob Castillo has been in the field of addictions and social services for a little over 25 years. Rob has worked in a variety of settings and positions. He has worked in community mental health, state and private hospital settings, Employee Assistance Programs, and private practice. Rob spent much of his time from 2007 to 2017 in academia, teaching as a full-time professor. In 2007 Rob was hired at a local University to initiate their Substance Abuse training program. Within a year, students were taking classes towards the addiction certification process within the undergraduate and graduate level program, making the University the first school of social work in the state of IL to offer this specialization in both undergrad and graduate levels. During the first three/four years when Rob was the Program Chair, students had a 100% pass rate for the state exam. In the Fall of 2017 Rob left his full-time position to pursue other interests. In September 2020, his life partner of 16 years suddenly died while taking care of her mother who was dying of cancer. Always one to "find a way", Rob sought part-time employment and worked part-time at a local hospital (20 hours per week) while continuing to grow his practice. Robs’ current active research interest includes the use of medical cannabis, legal adult-use marijuana, long-term effects (especially on the adolescent brain), as well as how legalization will impact current legal statutes as well as employers / employee dynamics. Other interests include ethical practice, cultural diversity, and work with our military heroes. The newest research interest he plans to pursue is the concept of “Culinary Therapy”. This is a concept that we may even use already. Rob has been told he as a welcoming and gentle demeaner. “I like to use different therapeutic approaches based on where my client is at during the session. I may use two or three different therapy approaches in one session if I think it will help. The bottom line is, if I have not established an honest, trusting relationship, no technique will work. Therapy is about the relationship we form with the client”.