David King, LCSW

When looking for someone to help you with adapting to complex life situations and challenging emotional issues, it is vital to find someone who you feel comfortable being with, who respects you, and focusses on your goals. I strive to work in a warm, empathic and engaging style, blending a variety of therapeutic tools, that best match your specific needs. Refined over my 30 years in practice, I would describe my approach as results driven, hands on and active. First we explore your situation and what you want to change. Equally import, is finding and strengthening what you already enjoy in your life and is working well. Using this strength based vantage point, we detemine what needs to change and the best tools to use to making these changes for you, or a family member. I frequently work with people who want to feel less restricted by anxiety, depression, panic, OCD, or the impact of various forms of traumatic experiences. Working with people as they become more free to choose what to do, where to go and who to be with is enormously gratifying. I also really enjoy working with people who have difficulties fully tapping into their innate talents to create satisfying relationships and academic successes, because of executive functioning differences such as ADHD. Individual's who are on the spectrum have different ways of experiencing the world, and I can help them translate their experiences to better mesh with those around them.

Much of my work helps people to connect their mind and body, as they work on their issues. Change takes place most effectively when both are present together. Thinking about issues without noticing your body's reactions or emotional responses tends to keep things too cerebral, limiting change. Conversely, being flooded by feelings and physical sensations gets in the way of the brain's natural tendency to work through difficult past experiences. I strive to create a working alliance with you where there is a balance between the two. Some of the approaches we may use include Mindfulness, EMDR (bilateral stimulation), breath work, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and analytic approaches. I work in individual, couple and family orientations and coordinate, whenever appropriate, with other helping professionals who you are using.

Effective Psychotherapy requires that there be a positive and respectful working alliance, and that the practitioner has solid clinical training and a broad range of professional experiences. My training includes, Masters and Advanced Clinical Certificates from NYU, a four year analytic certificate from The National Institute of the Psychotherapies, and level 1 and 2 training in EMDR. I have had extensive experience working in the inpatient facilities, Saint Vincent's and Four Winds hospitals. I am dual state licensed, and I have offices in Westport CT. and Katonah, NY.