David Martin LPCC

I bring levity and a light heart to the table. At the same time, I maintain an understanding of where you're at in life and what you need in order to overcome your hurdles and achieve your goals. I meet you where you're at.

Unfortunately, stigma - not just for severe mental illness, but also for common symptoms - is a very real thing. In our society and cultural climate, philosophies of competition, isolation, performance, and compartmentalization have directly contributed to increased levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and even mortality. Moreover, people are led to believe that the need to process and resolve these issues is seen at best as unimportant, and at worst as a weakness. The antidote, then, is a small dose of bravery. I believe that's what inside you. Even the fact that you're considering therapy is brave and courageous, and whether or not you choose me to walk with you on your journey or go with another therapist, my hope for you is that you find what you're looking for and that you take to heart the truth that this - what you're about to embark upon - might be the best thing you'll ever do for yourself.

In a nutshell, we 'll go over your reasons for seeking therapy, what you hope to obtain during our sessions together, and establish some mutually-agreed upon goals. Stepping into the world of therapy can be intimidating, so I want that first session to be comfortable for you. That's why we won't talk too in depth too soon, that will come later on.

• California, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor, 3808

As I started my journey as a clinician over ten years ago, I worked as a case manager at a community mental heath clinic. I served a wide range of clients, including those that suffered with chronic and persistent mental illnesses, addiction, chronic indigence, psychiatric medication management, and other problems. I transitioned into working with teenagers and adolescents at Residential Treatment centers, dealing with Oppositional Defiant behaviors, Conduct Disorder, Trauma, and family and systems issues. I had the privilege to work intently with families to "reverse-engineer" systematic problems that were directly contributing to and manifesting in the child placed in treatment. Continuing in residential settings, I worked with a group applying behavioral modification through more structured analytic approaches. Around this time, I began my own private practice and took on a wide range of clients, including children, adolescents, adults, couples, and older adults dealing with various life-stage or symptomatically-specific issues: anger problems, impulse control, depression, anxiety, grief and loss, addiction, phase of life issues, and many others. The unifying thread in these experiences is that I have learned to value each client individually and as a parts of their larger system. None of us operate independently from others. Each client I have worked with has had inherent value and worth, and my desire is to continue to walk with people during an apportioned season of their larger journey of life to work through difficulties, struggles, and hardships for their eventual benefit.