Dr. Chris McRoberts

DIRECTOR OF DIAGNOSTIC SERVICES / FOUNDER

CREDENTIALS

Ph.D. Clinical Psychology, Magna Cum Laude, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Bachelor of Psychology and Sociology, Minors in Statistics and Philosophy, Magna Cum Laude, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
Licensed Clinical Psychologist since 1999
Member of the American Psychological Association since 1999

PROFESSIONAL

Dr. Chris McRoberts has been conceptualizing the Bridge House model and the prospect of one day providing a place of hope, health, and healing for over 15 years. Dr. McRoberts began his mental health career in 1992 as a job coach for intellectually disabled adults. This and other service experiences sparked his desire to learn about and serve people with mental health problems and cognitive differences. He subsequently committed his career and energy to help others in need. Research and evidence-based practices have provided the structure for his studies and work with adults and adolescents. He loves research and has published several peer-reviewed articles and presented research findings at many national conferences on education and mental health. During his university studies, Dr. McRoberts took part in internships and practicums that exposed him to a wide range of individuals’ emotional and intellectual challenges. His doctoral program focused on assessing and treating mental disorders and cognitive differences in both children and adults.

Dr. McRoberts worked at the Utah State Hospital, private practice clinics, acute hospital units, a large community mental health center, and public and private schools leading up to his licensure as a Clinical Psychologist in 1999. Dr. McRoberts founded and built an assessment-based practice in 1998. He supervised fifteen psychologists specializing in educational, neuropsychological, and psychological evaluation of children, adolescents, and adults in Utah, Idaho, New York, and North Carolina. Through this process, he traveled throughout the United States and internationally, conducting comprehensive psychological and educational evaluations. He has visited and examined well over 100 schools and therapeutic programs along the way. Dr. McRoberts has become a recognized expert and supervisor in psychological and cognitive testing and evaluation. Dr. McRoberts has been on the founding team developing and/or serving as board president for eight prestigious residential treatment and wilderness therapy programs beginning in 2005.

PERSONAL

Dr. McRoberts lived in Oregon, Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, California, Spain, St. Maarten, and Tennessee before finally settling in Utah. Dr. McRoberts loves to listen and hear people’s stories, and he has the uncanny ability to make people feel comfortable and at ease very quickly. He despises formal settings and occasions and is most comfortable in his flip-flops. Dr. McRoberts’ favorite person in this world is his wife, Kristy. He has a passion for different cultures and seeks opportunities to immerse himself in different societies and learn from other people’s lives. Dr. McRoberts prioritizes family, including his children (three sons and a daughter) and grandchildren. He imparted upon his children his thirst for knowledge and adventure, raising them with travel, service, and physical activity as core foundations, introducing them to the power of giving back through humanitarian projects and travel in Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, Fiji, Thailand, and Spain.

A traditional office therapy job has never been an option for Dr. McRoberts. He enjoys helping clients by seeing them in their home environments, spending time with them in treatment settings, and collaborating with their treatment teams. He is invigorated by the challenge of figuring out learning differences and helping people progress to their potential. Dr. McRoberts also takes pride in employing the people who work in mental health fields. Seeing employees and their families grow and learn is one of his greatest joys. Dr. McRoberts sincerely believes that he can accomplish anything that he sets his mind to, and he loves a challenge.

HOPE, HEALTH & HEALING

Dr. McRoberts was born with congenital cataracts. His parents were told he would never read, ride a bike, or drive. They were encouraged to protect him. Instead, they opted to treat him just as they did their other children. His dad held faith in the hope that Chris could do so much more than the doctors believed. He bought Chris a bike when he was five, believing that he might give up if he crashed too often. Chris persevered. His parents put no boundaries on his abilities, and subsequently, he learned to work around his limitations in unexpected ways. Dr. McRoberts sees mental health in the same way. When people have mental illnesses and cognitive disabilities, the focus should remain on what can be accomplished rather than on limitations. People with all types of mental and physical disabilities can achieve amazing things if provided the opportunity. Dr. McRoberts wants to remove the stigma of mental illness while helping people with mental health struggles become their best selves.

Working in mental health since 1992

Working at Bridge House since 2017