A Spidey Sense for Struggle and Strength
Meet Tyler Harrington, LMSW
When Tyler Harrington joined Causeway Collaborative, he knew he’d found his place. “I identify with the young clients coming in—those who feel directionless, who are stuck in old habits because it’s all they’ve known. I understand how easy it is to fall into that rut of comfort.” With every one-on-one session, every family conversation, every quiet connection, Tyler helps young men take the all-important first step: choosing to step into discomfort, and grow.
Raised in Southbury, Conn., Tyler lived in a multigenerational household with his parents, sister, and beloved grandmother—an Indonesian immigrant, a painter, a seamstress, and a natural-born helper.
“She’d talk to anyone, give away her art to strangers just because they
looked like they needed something,” he says. “I definitely get that from her…and from my mom and dad. We’re just wired to connect.”
Tyler’s early years were steeped in community and hard work: competitive AAU basketball, a degree in American studies and history from Keene State College, and a first job in direct care. But when a senior-year internship quickly turned existential (“I was about to student teach, and then I realized, ‘Oh, this is public speaking, and I don’t like public speaking’), he inched closer toward his calling: Tyler wasn’t meant to stand at the front of a classroom, he was meant to guide. To listen. To help people untangle and find a different path.
Finding Causeway, Rewiring Beliefs
After working at Newport Academy and earning his Master’s in social work, Tyler eventually found Causeway, and in its mission, he saw himself. “I’d describe Causeway as a place that challenges the idea of what ‘help’ looks like for young men. We don’t try to change them. We help them believe in themselves. We meet them where they are.”
That mindset carries through his work with families as well. As a licensed social worker, Tyler champions Causeway’s growing family therapy and coaching model as essential to long-term progress.
“Families create systems, and over time, those systems get stuck,” he says. “Parents might not even realize their reactions or patterns are part of what’s keeping their son from moving forward. Family therapy isn’t about blame. It’s about bringing curiosity into the conversation and holding up a mirror…gently.”
With Great Empathy Comes Great Responsibility
Ask Tyler about his favorite superhero and there’s zero hesitation: Spider-Man, forever. That said, “everybody wants to be Spider-Man, but no one wants to be Peter Parker,” he laments. “He’s the one struggling. But he gets back up. He keeps showing up. He saves the world, and then he takes off the mask and deals with being human. That balance? That’s what we’re all trying to do.”
And when asked what advice he’d give to every client, he doesn’t hesitate there, either: “Follow the plan, not the feeling.” Tyler explains: “You make a plan—you say you’re going to apply for the job, go to the gym, show up to therapy—and then the feeling hits. I don’t want to. I’m tired. I’m not ready. If you let the feeling win, you’re stuck. But if you follow the plan? You move. You shift. You get somewhere.”
That ability to push through the first five minutes of resistance—trusting process over mood—is something Tyler encourages every young man to practice. “That first five minutes is where the magic lives. If you can get through that, you can get through a lot.”
The Power of Showing Up
Tyler brings Spidey’s same ethos to his clients: heroic vulnerability, quiet resilience, and the kind of unwavering support that builds self-belief over time. “My job’s a lot like gardening,” he says. “I plant seeds. I water. I teach them how to water. Sometimes I don’t get to see what blooms. But when a former client reaches out and tells me they’re doing well, I know something took root.”
Whether he’s referencing his love of cooking in session, cold-calling a colleague just to connect, or quoting Stan Lee with reverence, Tyler’s superpower is clear: he cares. Deeply. Intentionally. Quietly. Tirelessly.
If this profile made you think of a young man who might benefit from working with Tyler or someone like him, reach out to the Causeway Collaborative team. Therapy, mentorship, and coaching don’t have to look like what you’ve always pictured. Sometimes, it looks like this.