Meet Robyn Fatseas of Robyn’s N.E.S.T. Psychology in Quincy

Today we’d like to introduce you to Robyn Fatseas.

Robyn, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As far back as I can remember I knew I wanted to work with children when I got older. As a 5th grader I decided to be a therapist; in fact, I began providing “therapy” during classroom downtime that year. I offered an ear for anyone who wanted to problem solve, or just needed someone to listen. It was during this time I began playing with business names and logos.

A few years later I came up with the name that is in my business today, Robyn’s N.E.S.T., with N.E.S.T. being an acronym for Nurturing Emotional Success Together. As a wildly driven child, I created and named a dream. I had no idea what it would take to make this dream a reality, nor the incredible journey I would take along the way. I did well in school, but learning in the classroom never came easily to me.

I remember asking my mother why I didn’t excel at sports and why I had to put a lot of time and energy into my schoolwork to earn good grades while it seemed like others picked up skills so easily. She would become a broken record, emphasizing my advanced interpersonal skills and how my understanding of children was such a gift.

She would also remind me that having to work hard in school did not make me less smart, it just meant that I learned differently than how I was being taught. I was the queen of adaptation, constantly figuring out new and improved ways to learn all required material. I became a distinction student along the way, earning acceptance at my number one choice for college, The University of Connecticut.

Together with faculty and staff in the linguistics department, I helped develop the American Sign Language major at UConn while double majoring in psychology. I went on to receive my master’s degree, as one of only two hearing students in my class, at Gallaudet University, the only Deaf university in the world.

At Gallaudet, all classes were taught in American Sign Language (ASL) and I felt as if the information was being placed directly from the teacher’s hands into my brain, nothing in the way to impede my comprehension. This was hard for many people to understand because ASL was not my primary language, but for me, it just clicked. My master’s program required an internship for my final semester.

I wanted to stay in the area, if possible, and I ended up cold calling Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), a close partner with Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH). Not knowing all the ins and outs of the internship process, I asserted myself, expressed an interest, and stated why I would be an asset to their program. I interviewed later that week and an invitation to do my internship was extended the next day.

I am mildly embarrassed to admit that, at the time, I had never heard of the esteemed Johns Hopkins. I am not saying I wouldn’t have made the call if I had, but I might have given it a second thought. After graduation, I continued to work at KKI and JHH for another five years.

During that time, I developed a skill set that I rely heavily on in my work today as a pediatric behavior therapist. Upon meeting a child, we would conduct an initial evaluation that targeted the referral concern and helps identify causal relationships. These evaluations also included assessments that helped identify a child’s strengths and preferences.

This was vital in helping a child overcome challenges while being positively reinforced. I learned specific techniques that met each child at their developmental level so the interventions would set them up for success. To expand upon this concept, imagine a child who is afraid of getting an injection. To help the child accomplish this task I would create a task analysis, a list of “baby steps” leading up to and through the difficult task.

The list might start at checking in with the receptionist, then going back to the room, sitting on the table and so on. The child is awarded a sticker, or other identified motivator, as they accomplish each task. Prior to the more difficult tasks, it is important to select and teach appropriate relaxation strategies that work best with the individual child.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
The road has not been smooth but worth the trip. I find it almost always helps to have a goal and to know what you want, but sometimes goals can leave one discouraged. Specifically – when you have a host of dreams to make reality, yet find yourself tethered to an IV drip and cannot form your thoughts into words.

Back up a year from that moment, and I was sitting in a doctor’s office getting the diagnosis I had been searching for most of my life. Growing up there was always an underlying “something isn’t quite right.” The first time it came to a head was in 9th grade. I missed about 40 days of school due to a myriad of symptoms no doctor could diagnose.

This was highly unusual for me as I did not like to miss school; I had to be in school to achieve success. At that time, I made a choice to keep living through the discomfort, pain, and confusion because I had important business with the world and lying in bed was not going to get me anywhere. I already knew how to work harder than many of those around me, so what business did a few ailments have to get in my way?

That mentality carried me through the rest of high school, college and graduate school despite moments where symptoms would worsen and I began to have increased difficulty bouncing back. At the end of graduate school, I began aspirating on liquids and was experiencing an increasing number of fainting spells.

When attending a forum at the hospital, I recognized my symptoms in the presentation. I followed up with the speaker and one month later I was told I had been living with undiagnosed Lyme disease, likely contracted when I was 2-years-old. I went through extensive treatment with an amazing support team made up of family, friends, and colleagues.

While I was living in the D.C./Baltimore area my family was back in Massachusetts. My mother would fly in for surgeries and difficult treatment weeks. During much of my treatment I was feeling okay enough to work, a blessing as I have never done well sitting around waiting to feel better; staying engaged is what kept me going.

During major treatment weeks, however, I was much more limited. I was very ill, could not work or drive and struggled immensely with brain fog. During those times I knew what I wanted to say, but somehow “washing machine” would always come out “the dishwasher for clothes.”

During my recovery and while employed at KKI/JHH I began to realize things about my own brain that I have been able to use with clients. I gained an understanding of the interworking’s of the brain and how to explain it for others to understand. When I was small I told my mom it felt as if a 3-dimensional, multisided “octagon” was inside my brain and it would rotate every once in a while without notice.

The side that was facing forward contained skills I was good at, and the backside was unreachable while the sides were sporadically accessible. Just as I would get used to my brain, the sides would rotate and I had to learn how to readapt all over again. As it turns out there was not a multisided dice in my brain.

However, the Lyme spirochetes were up there, impeding functions intermittently. Lyme may have lead to my challenges in school but also was responsible for the development of my incredible ability to compensate. Having experienced losing and gaining abilities while afflicted with Lyme disease I gained an exceptional understanding of how the brain/body connection works. I attribute the way I conceptualize my work to these experiences and have been able to use my unique perspective to reach others.

Please tell us about Robyn’s N.E.S.T. Psychology.
At Robyn’s N.E.S.T. Psychology I specialize in an intervention based approach for children, typically developing, as well as those who may have unique physical or mental needs. I develop manageable techniques, alleviating stressors for both child and caregiver. Due to my adaptability, I am able to ensure my techniques fit within each unique family. I often refer to my work as physical therapy for the brain.

My action based interventions help every child achieve his or her best self within each individual family. Some of the more common challenges I work with include but are not limited; bedtime behaviors, medical adherence, general behavior management and toilet training. I also speak at and do training for parent groups, schools, organizations.

I am tremendously proud of developing an innovative way to reach children. I have seen improvements in every child I have worked with. Payment goes far beyond the dollar when I look into a parent’s eyes and see tears of relief, knowing they have found the right fit for their child and family.

I have stories and pictures from my clients – each bursting with pride telling about how they have a new-found confidence in school, held still for a blood draw, were brave while getting a tooth pulled, or had their first sleepover without having to worry about waking up wet or frightened from a nightmare. Their pride is what lets me know I am on the right path, changing lives one family at a time.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
My life experiences have all contributed to who I am and all I have accomplished, for this reason, there is nothing I would change.

Contact Info:

• Address: 1266 Furnace Brook Pkwy Quincy, MA 02169
• Website: www.RobynsNestPsychology.com
• Phone: 781-763-7807
• Email: robynsnest.psych@gmail.com
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RobynsNESTPsychology/

Image Credit:
Pat Fatseas

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