David Callahan, MSW, LSWAIC, CPC

Pronouns: they/them

David is a neurodivergent biracial Latine/White nonbinary person with an associate’s license in social work (LSWAIC) in the state of Washington. Originally from Phoenix, AZ, they have lived in Seattle since September 2020. Their personal mental health journey has shaped a strong self-care routine, which they model for clients.

David integrates social justice and systemic barriers into therapy while addressing individual concerns. David’s inclusive framework embraces disability, neurodiversity, racial identity, and queer experiences, including kink, polyamory, and all gender-expansive identities. They follow a Health at Every Size (HAES) approach and prioritize harm reduction over abstinence.
 
David received their Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Philosophy from Arizona State University in 2019 and a Masters degree in Social Work specializing in Clinical Practice at University of Washington in 2022. David holds an eclectic therapeutic approach and utilizes a variety of modalities. David is also a Certified Peer Counselor (CPC) with their own lived mental health experience. David often incorporates their lived experience with clinical relevance into therapy. David has primarily worked with individual adults in the past, yet also has experience working with teens and couples.
 
Their passion for therapy stems from their own mental health struggles as a teenager. Throughout their education, David advocated for the LGBTQ+ community and mental health awareness with experience organizing pride events and educational programs. Their professional experience spans across working at group homes, a psychiatric hospital, a substance use rehab, and doing high-needs mental health case management. Recently, they have worked in community mental health as a peer counselor and social worker/therapist. Notable achievements include organizing a second chance prom, creating a trans lifeline campaign, coordinating a 2000+ person event for LGBTQ+ college freshmen, starting an LGBTQ+ affinity group for clinicians, and leading an LGBTQ+ group with over 50 referrals.
 
Outside of therapy, David is a gamer, music lover, and owner of a 12 year old dog/“biopup” named Courage. They are very active in the Seattle pup scene with previous involvement in leadership for a local pup organization. Their scene name alludes to a love for puns and literature. You may see them at local kink events or parties as well as the occasional visit to larger national leather events.

Speciality Areas

  • Trauma processing
  • LGBTQ+ Identity
  • Sex positive and kink affirming care
  • Navigating neurodivergence
  • Building confidence and self-image
  • Intersectional issues
  • Effects of systemic oppression
  • Stress, anxiety, and emotion management
  • Building healthy communication skills

 

Theoretical Approach

David holds a person-centered approach while using a variety of modalities. David does not strictly adhere to any one modality and uses strategies based on what they see best fits the client’s needs. However, David is open to learning and further practicing modalities that clients may have specific interest in.

  • Motivational Interviewing (MI)
  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)
  • Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Narrative Therapy
  • Feminist Therapy
  • Multicultural and Social Justice Counseling

a headshot photo of David Callahan smiling