BIO

My name is David James.  I am licensed as both a Clinical Social Worker and a Clinical Addiction Counselor.  I have worked in mental health and substance abuse counseling since sometime last century, in community mental health, child welfare, addiction treatment, and managed care.  My goal is to provide a safe, welcoming place to heal your hurts and become the strong, whole person you were meant to be despite what has happened to get in your way.  Clinically, I primarily use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and its variants, including Schema Therapy, DBT skills, trauma-focused CBT and several others.  I am experienced in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders, chronic mental illness, addiction/dual diagnoses(harm-reduction model), and trauma-related disorders.  I also have a long history of teaching and supervising current and future mental health professionals.  

My practice is currently focused on the specific needs of the LGBTQIA+ communities, including assisting transgender/nonbinary individuals in the process of expressing their authentic selves.  As a transman myself, I strongly believe in the importance of our community as a means of survival in the bad times and a source of joy in the good times.  We’ve fought and won these battles before, and we’ll do it again.

Outside of work I am a husband and dad, so I frequent soccer fields and paintball courses.  On my own time I’m most often spotted in bookstores (yes, I’m a nerd), hardware stores (looking for materials for my next project) or anyplace with good coffee.