Meet Richard Oelberger, PhD, CMPC | Psychologist, Author, and Sports and Performance Consultant

We had the good fortune of connecting with Richard Oelberger, PhD, CMPC and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Richard, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
Risk-taking is scary and intimidating but absolutely essential for success! In a lot of ways, every great personal achievement or moment in my life came from taking a risk. Leaving a comfortable county job, launching a private practice, and getting certified in Somatic Experience and as a Sports Psychology Consultant all happened after the age of 30 and after I had achieved a Ph.D. It is never too late to pivot and shift towards your passions and to allow them to be incorporated into your livelihood. I also took a risk and hosted and ran the Richardistens podcast despite having little prior knowledge in the arena, all the while confronting imposter syndrome and self-consciousness. Fast forward to the pandemic and I was hosting three podcasts a day in some circumstances. The risk created the possibility for the expertise and unlimited opportunities for engagement and new connections!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
What I am most proud and excited about is pursuing my passion and pivoting in the direction of the inner game of sports, already being a father and balancing my role as a provider. Studying and pursuing sports psychology while being a provider for the highest level of performers in both the medical, entertainment, and sports realms, provides a lot of interaction, curiosity, and opportunity to experience the world differently which keeps my mind open and provides a continual challenge. Getting to where I am has not been easy and has been filled with twists and turns! In fact, it is a continual struggle to balance running a business with the current demand and needs for mental health providers with self-care and our own ability to separate from some of the collective events we are also impacted by as providers. Overcoming challenges is made possible only through continuous support, mentorship, learning, and encouragement to pursue what makes us happy as an individual, first, and providers, secondarily. Keeping the process light, through travel, and going out to playing fields, allows me to get out of my head and step into the other senses of intuition, vision, and touch, which I find, keeps me more alive and engaged as a professional. I want the world to know that my book, “The Zero Method”, was inspired by some of the hardest, most depressing, and humiliating moments of my life, as well as grief. However, the resilience I gained from moving through and facing those moments defined myself, my brand, and the book. You too, can overcome, but need tools and support to face the world we currently inhabit!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
A week-long trip down the coast of California might be a gift to myself and any visitor. I would take them to Berkely, The Redwoods, Half Moon Bay, Big Sur, Monterey Aquarium, wine tasting and a steak at Herzog winery, Solvang for Danish pastries, and then find a nice hike on the way down to Southern, CA, jusy maybe not in that order! I would take them to eat the best vegan and Kosher food in the LA area, likely at Cross Roads Kitchen, Sage, Pura Vita Italian, or Real Food Daily. Of course, if the Dodgers, Clippers, Sparks, LAFC soccer, or LA Aviators Ultimate Frisbee are in town, taking in the sporting culture in LA is a must! My favorite spot is visiting Pauley Pavilion for a basketball game or campus tour and taking a pause in the hidden gardens on campus.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would like to thank my wife and children for understanding my long committed hours and showing unlimited resilience and pursuit of being open, connected, and caring for one another seflessly. I would like to give my shoutout to the Remarkable Men’s Practice for their work in making men’s work, circles, and retreats to nature, part of sacred transformative work and for making work accessible and available to any man willing to ask for help and put in the work! I relish the opportunity to facilitate, speak, and lead men, while doing my own work along side in the trenches! Congratulations for achieving nonprofit status and for daring to go above and beyond! Lastly, thank you to Ezra Cheng for her branding expertise, helping The Zero Method come to the light of day.

Website: www.richardlistens.com

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Image Credits
Daniel Romanenko photo credit