Meet Rune Moelbak | Psychologist & Therapy Provider

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rune Moelbak and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rune, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I tried to center my psychology practice around values that would be important to myself as a potential client…

I centered my practice around making it easy and convenient to come see me. I don’t want my clients to have to go through tons of paperwork like you would in most doctors offices, so I keep my paperwork simple and easy to complete so we can get started right away. I also wanted to make scheduling and rescheduling appointments easy so I allow clients to schedule and make changes to appointments online. Finally I have adapted my availability to the life of a busy professional, and offer most of my appointments on Saturdays and evenings so most people don’t need to request time off from work to come see me. These conveniences along with being a professional who really cares about the craft of my work and doesn’t just see it as a job but as a passion, are some things I think have helped give me a good reputation and provide a first rate therapy experience.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I am a psychologist and therapist who helps individuals and couples who have gotten stuck in their life or with each other in some way. This could manifest as being depressed, feeling hopeless, arguing too much, having lost a sense of meaning and purpose, or feeling like life’s challenges are just too much to handle and aren’t really bringing them a a sense of joy and mastery. I like to think of my clients as presenting to me with a kind of mystery that they haven’t been able to solve on their own. We put our heads together about what is not known and clear about their life, their motivations, and why they feel the way they feel, and try to bring lightness and clarity to those things by helping them to get to know themselves more honestly and deeply.

Therapists are a quite varied bunch both in terms of their education and their beliefs about how to bring about healing, so it can be a crapshoot at times to find the right fit. I came up with the name Better Therapy for my therapy practice because I wanted to stand out from the crowd with a particular brand of therapy that is not just about teaching skills or focusing on symptoms, but about helping people achieve greater emotional and psychological insight into who they are and why they do the things they do. I believe a good therapist is someone who has an extremely open mind and is counter cultural in some way so a person doesn’t just come to therapy to be taught how to live according to prevalent cultural norms, but is helped to grapple with the uncertainties of existence and sort out their own philosophy of living.

To be worthy of my business tag line, I do try to bring more to my job than a simple cookie-cutter approach and 9-5 mentality. I truly view my profession as a passion and a life pursuit rather than just a job, and I am always pursuing readings and professional development that keeps me at the forefront of new developments but also cultivates a critical and independent mindset.

I believe staying true to principles you believe in and being guided by a tenacious pursuit at being the best professional you can be is ultimately going to bring you success. At the end of the day if you keep perfecting your craft it will eventually be noticed and appreciated and will build your brand and reputation. Are you a master chef or just a cook? People will be able to tell in the end…

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Approaching Houston with a “tourist mind” I would say some of the most memorable experiences would be a visit to Lakewood Church and The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Houston, a hindu temple slightly outside of Houston. Both are completely free, and no I am not religious… Lakewood really knows how to put on a show, and the music, light effects, and overall experience tops the best concerts I have been to. Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is a hindu temple made of hand carved white marble imported from India. This place is the closest you will come to visiting India and is architecturally a feast for the eyes. Other not to miss Houston essentials would be to sample some of the excellent Tex-Mex food: A personal favorite of mine are the beef fajitas at El Tiempo, or the cheese and chicken quesadilla appetizer at Chuy’s. Of course both places are also great for freshly made margaritas! Other than that I might recommend a stroll in some of Houston’s many parks, a free cultural event at Miller’s Outdoor Theater, or a visit to a dim sum place somewhere in Houston China Town areas. So much to do, see, and eat in this diverse mecca of cultures…

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My journey as a professional has been greatly aided by all the professors and who believed in me and encouraged me along the way. I think every person has a need to feel that there is something special and unique about what they bring to their trade to make them feel that there is some special purpose for them to be in their profession. Two of my early mentors were Alan Pope and Kareen Malone, both professors from University of West Georgia, whom I felt really cared about me and encouraged me early on. Alan Pope was a Buddhist inspired psychologist who really helped me see that to be a good psychologist is to work on yourself as a person not just as a professional. Kareen Malone was another psychologist who really offered to get to know me and inspired me with her creativity and deep love for philosophy. Like others who have really impacted me, I have tended to gravitate towards those individuals who really brought themselves to the work and saw the profession as more of a life calling than just a job.

Website: bettertherapy.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/bettertherapy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Better_Therapy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bettertherapy/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/better-therapy-houston-4

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/RuneMoelbak

Other: My couples therapy website: bettercouplestherapy.com