--- title: "About Rodric McClain | Nebraska and Rhode Island" description: "My journey toward becoming a therapist began with a desire to understand the “why” behind people’s struggles. 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Everyone wants to feel heard, valued, and safe enough to be themselves. And that is where I believe therapy begins.” ## Why I do this My journey toward becoming a therapist began with a desire to understand the “why” behind people’s struggles. Growing up, my father struggled with alcoholism. As a child, I simply thought of him as someone who drank all the time. I also witnessed the pain and abuse that his drinking brought into our home. It wasn’t until I became an adult that I understood that what I had called “being a drunk” was actually a disease: a complex struggle that often has deeper roots. That realization changed the way I viewed addiction and shaped the therapist I wanted to become. I began asking myself: Why does someone turn to substances? What are they trying to cope with? What are they trying not to feel, think about, or face? Substance use can become a coping mechanism. The problem is that it is an unhealthy one that provides only temporary relief. I believe meaningful change begins by meeting people where they are, without judgment, and working together to understand what is underneath the behavior. My father never had the opportunity, or perhaps the willingness, to seek therapy or talk openly about what he was experiencing. During the time in which he lived, seeking professional help was not something many people considered. People were often expected to handle their problems on their own and simply push through. Whatever pain or struggles my father carried, we never discovered the “why” behind them. I lived with the consequences of that unanswered question as a child and later as a young adult. Those experiences gave me a deep desire to bridge that gap for others. I want to be a voice for people who may have experienced similar circumstances and help them understand that their struggles do not define them, and that there is a way forward. ## My experiences have shaped my ability to relate I also grew up in the South and experienced challenges during my childhood that shaped who I am today. I experienced racism, prejudice, and moments of feeling like I wasn’t good enough or that I somehow did not measure up. Those experiences were difficult, but they also taught me something important: what we experience does not have to determine who we become. I understand what it feels like to question your worth. I understand what it feels like to experience prejudice or to feel less than others. I understand the impact those experiences can have on children, adolescents, young adults, and adults as they try to find their identity and their place in the world. My experiences allow me to relate to people from many different backgrounds and walks of life. Whether someone has experienced poverty, discrimination, prejudice, rejection, trauma, or simply the feeling of not being good enough, I want them to know that they can sit across from me and be heard. I am a Black therapist, and that allows me to relate personally to many of the experiences that Black clients may bring into therapy. At the same time, my more than 27 years of military service exposed me to people from countless backgrounds, cultures, ethnicities, and life experiences. That experience taught me that while our circumstances may be different, people share many of the same fundamental emotions, thoughts, fears, hopes, and needs. Everyone wants to feel heard. Everyone wants to feel valued. Everyone wants to feel safe enough to be themselves. And that is where I believe therapy begins. ## My military experience Another major part of my journey comes from my more than 27 years of service in the United States military. As a veteran who served and experienced the realities of military life and deployment, I understand that service members can carry tremendous experiences and trauma long after their service ends. For many veterans, seeking therapy can be difficult. There can be a belief that others simply won’t understand what they have experienced. I understand the leadership, the demands of military service, the sacrifices, the deployments, and what it means to be away from the people you love. I also understand the experience from the family perspective: the spouses, children, parents, and loved ones who wait at home while their service member is focused on the mission. The military teaches us to focus on the mission, accomplish the objective, and push through adversity. Sometimes, that mindset is exactly what allows us to survive and succeed. But when the mission ends, we can find ourselves facing something we were never taught how to navigate: ourselves. We may return home carrying trauma, depression, anxiety, sleepless nights, difficult memories, or thoughts we don’t know how to express. We may continue pushing those feelings aside because that is what we learned to do. But eventually, we have to recognize that taking care of ourselves is also part of the mission. That is why I want to be a bridge for veterans, first responders, and the families who stand beside them. ## I believe relatability matters Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to work with children, adolescents, young adults, couples, and older adults. I have seen people struggle with anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship difficulties, communication problems, substance use, and many other challenges. I also understand how difficult it can be to seek help from someone you don't believe can relate to you. That is one of the strengths I bring to therapy. I don't believe you have to have lived my exact experience for me to understand you. What matters is that I am willing to listen, learn your story, understand your perspective, and meet you where you are. Whether you're dealing with relationship problems, communication issues, family conflict, substance use, trauma, anxiety, depression, or simply feeling stuck in life, my goal is to create an environment where you feel safe enough to talk about what is really happening. ## A conversation is not a competition One area I am particularly passionate about is communication. Whether you're talking about spouses, partners, friends, family members, or anyone else important in your life, communication can become difficult when we stop listening to understand and start listening to defend ourselves. A conversation is not a competition. It is a platform. It is an opportunity for one person to communicate how they feel while the other person genuinely listens. There is a difference between active listening and defensive listening. Defensive listening means we are already preparing our response, building our argument, or trying to prove why the other person is wrong. We may technically hear the words, but we aren't truly listening to the person. When we actively listen, we try to understand the emotion behind the words. We ask: Why did they feel that way? Why did they interpret what I said that way? What were they trying to communicate underneath the words? Sometimes, what matters most is not what we intended to say, but how the other person experienced what we said. When someone feels dismissed, they often shut down, withdraw, or stop communicating altogether. My goal is to help people break that cycle. We can learn to communicate without attacking. We can listen without preparing to defend ourselves. We can validate someone’s experience without automatically agreeing with them. ## I'm going to show up for you Therapy is a partnership. You have to show up, but so do I. I'm going to show up and work with you. I'm going to encourage you. I'm going to motivate you. I'm going to challenge you. And when necessary, I'm going to tell you what you need to hear, not simply what you want to hear. There is a difference. Telling someone what they want to hear may feel good in the moment, but meaningful change often comes from hearing what we need to hear. Sometimes you need encouragement. Sometimes you need perspective. Sometimes you need accountability. I'm not here to judge you. I'm here to help you grow. When we are willing to hear what we need to hear, we can begin to focus, move forward, and make meaningful change. Accountability is not about blame. It is about growth. My intent is for you to become better. My hope is for you to heal, grow, and thrive. ## Trust comes before the “why” Therapy is not about walking into one session and immediately telling me everything. Trust takes time. Rapport takes time. My responsibility is to meet you where you are and build that trust over time. Because when you feel safe, that is when we can begin to understand the “why.” And once we understand the why, we can begin to move forward. ![Prairie grass at golden hour](/assets/prairie-DqzXedHk.jpg) A life worth living > “I don't believe you have to have lived my exact experience for me to understand you. What matters is that I am willing to listen, learn your story, understand your perspective, and meet you where you are.” ## Let’s figure it out together I don’t believe your past has to define your future. I believe people can heal, grow, and change. My goal is to help you build a life that feels meaningful and worth living. After more than 27 years in the military, I continue my service through helping others heal and grow. This is not just a job for me. It is a calling. So let’s start with a conversation. You don’t have to have all the answers. Just show up. I’ll meet you where you are. We’ll work together to understand the “why,” and from there, we’ll build the path forward. You don’t have to do this alone. I look forward to working with you. [Start a conversation](/contact) Rodric McClain Counseling ## Pages - [Home](/) - [About](/about) - [Getting started](/getting-started) - [Questions people ask](/faq) - [Fees and payment](/fees) - [Contact](/contact) ## Services - [All services](/services) - [Individual therapy](/services/individual-therapy) - [Couples therapy](/services/couples-therapy) - [Family therapy](/services/family-therapy) - [Teen and young adult therapy](/services/teen-and-young-adult-therapy) - [Online therapy](/services/online-therapy) ## Who I help - [Everyone I work with](/who-i-help) - [Veterans](/who-i-help/veterans) - [Active duty and military families](/who-i-help/active-duty-and-military-families) - [First responders](/who-i-help/first-responders) ## Concerns - [Everything people bring](/concerns) - [PTSD and trauma](/concerns/ptsd-and-trauma) - [Anxiety](/concerns/anxiety) - [Depression and low mood](/concerns/depression) - [Grief and loss](/concerns/grief-and-loss) - [Stress and burnout](/concerns/stress-and-burnout) - [Relationship issues](/concerns/relationship-issues) - [Life transitions](/concerns/life-transitions) ## How I work - [How I work](/how-i-work) - [DBT](/how-i-work/dbt) - [CBT](/how-i-work/cbt) - [Mindfulness](/how-i-work/mindfulness) ## Locations - [Where I practice](/locations) - [Omaha, in person and online](/locations/omaha) - [Lincoln, online and in person](/locations/lincoln) - [Bellevue, online and in person](/locations/bellevue) - [Papillion, online and in person](/locations/papillion) - [La Vista, online and in person](/locations/la-vista) - [Grand Island, online and in person](/locations/grand-island) - [Rhode Island, telehealth only](/locations/rhode-island) ## Legal - [Privacy policy](/privacy-policy) - [Terms of use](/terms) - [Accessibility](/accessibility) ## Practice - Rodric McClain - LIMHP (Nebraska) · LMHC (Rhode Island) - Omaha, Nebraska - [(731) 393-3253](tel:+17313933253) ## In a crisis - Call or text 988, Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. - Veterans Crisis Line: call 988, then press 1. - If there is immediate danger, call 911. © 2026 Rodric McClain Counseling, LLC. General information only, not a substitute for care or emergency services.