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Robin Maddox
Director of Behavioral Health
I was originally a special education teacher for children with Down Syndrome, Autism and other developmental disabilities. One of my students’ family therapists came to observe my classroom and told me about her work- I was like that’s a job! I want to do that! I went to Northwestern University to receive my degree as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I went on to specialize in working with families and young children with disruptive behavior, anxiety, depression, ADHD and learning disabilities.
As a kid when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would always say a mom. Then it turned into a nurse, then a special ed teacher, and then child therapist. So long way of saying yes, I love kids, and I knew I always wanted to be in a helping profession working intimately with families. 0-5 is such a crucial age for children and it is when families are the most exhausted and overwhelmed and I know personally and the research echos early intervention and prevention are key.
The pandemic crushed me as a clinician, I had waitlists that I knew I would never be able to get to and the suffering that I was working with was so profound. Therapy felt like pulling one family out of the river at a time and never being able to go upstream and help them from getting thrown in. What I was doing for one child and family I knew could help so many in the same situation but I didn’t have the time to help everyone who needed it. I joined Clay because there is a deep need for upstream intervention and prevention. Anxiety at 3 is relatively simple to alleviate, anxiety at 13 is so much harder once the family dynamics and neural pathways have been set. I deeply believe in preventative mental health care and systemic changes that need to happen to ensure all children have the best shot at a healthy life.
The ability to take my years of clinical experience and systemic thinking and help create a product that could help millions of children and families vs the maybe few hundred I would otherwise have been able to help in my private practice over my entire career.
Working with brilliant people who are mission driven and so technologically gifted (not my gift!) that we are able to create a product that can truly create preventive mental health care for children and families.
In my next life, I would love to renovate fixer uppers with my own two hands! I love the beach, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan is my favorite place.
