"I have told you this so that you might have peace in me. In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world." John 16:33
About Robert Jakucs, Psy.D.
Hi, I'm Dr. Bobby Jakucs! Here's a bit about me and TCRC: I’m a Marine Corps Combat Veteran, a husband and father, and a practicing Catholic. My journey to becoming a clinical psychologist wasn’t a straight line—I had no interest in the field until I found Man’s Search for Meaning while deployed to Afghanistan. That book cracked something open in me. Amidst the chaos of war, Viktor Frankl’s words gave voice to what I had felt but couldn’t articulate: that we can endure almost anything if we believe our lives have meaning.
Since then, meaning-making has been the heartbeat of my work. After serving as a Combat Engineer Officer, I attended Pepperdine University and pursued clinical training that blended both insight-oriented and cognitive-behavioral approaches. Since completing my training, I’ve had the privilege of working for years in a federal healthcare setting, where I provide trauma-focused therapy to veterans, offer clinical supervision to psychology trainees, and consult on complex cases involving moral injury, PTSD, religious/spiritual matters impacting care, and life transitions.
But I found myself always returning to the kind of work that first stirred something in me—helping people find purpose in the midst of suffering. That’s why I now specialize in integrating Logotherapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), both of which guide people toward living with intention, even in the face of pain.
I bring to my work a deep and abiding faith. Catholicism has been the anchor of my life, shaped especially by my devotion to the Blessed Mother and St. Joseph. I’m influenced by both Franciscan simplicity and joy, and Ignatian discernment and depth—two very different traditions that somehow feel like home to me. I believe that grace and grit are not opposites, but partners.
Outside the therapy room, I’m a lifelong surfer and have studied classical Japanese martial arts for over a decade. Both disciplines have shaped how I understand resilience, presence, and movement through adversity. These practices influence how I walk with others—whether they’re navigating trauma, burnout, or the ordinary (and extraordinary) demands of being human.
At heart, I love walking with people as they grow, struggle, heal, and rediscover courage. I believe healing is possible. I believe transformation is real. And I believe that you were made for something more.
I am a licensed psychologist in the State of California (PSY 32971). Please note: I am not currently accepting therapy clients. This site is focused on writing, educational resources and future course development.
Media and Selected Writing
I've had the opportunity to share my work through a number of media outlets and publications focused on faith, psychology, suffering and the search for meaning. These conversations and essays reflect the same themes explored throughout this site: how we live well in the midst of difficulty, uncertainty and change.
I was honored to be featured by the Knights of Columbus as part of a Veteran's Day series. I had the opportunity to reflect on service, fatherhood and the quiet work of accompanying others through suffering and healing.
I joined Wilmington Catholic Radio's Carolina Catholic for a conversation on meaning, suffering and the work of coming home, both literally and interiorly, after seasons of hardship.
I appeared on Catholic Faith Network to reflect on the integration of faith and evidence-based psychology, particularly the idea that uniting our wounds to Christ's as a path toward healing and meaning. In the conversation, I draw on Viktor Frankl and Marcus Aurelius, exploring how suffering—when faced honestly—can become a place of growth, freedom, and redemptive meaning rather than despair.
Catholic Exchange—Selected Essays
I'm a frequent contributor to Catholic Exchange, where I write on faith, psychology, meaning and the interior life.
