About David
I’m David Slatkin. I help people work with anxiety, depression, identity, and the parts of life that don’t have easy answers.
I work with thoughtful adults—often high-achieving or neurodivergent—who feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected despite functioning well on the outside. My approach is integrative and practical, drawing from IFS, trauma-informed therapy, mindfulness, and existential perspectives, tailored to the person rather than a formula.
Are you ready to make a change?
Many people come to therapy when life looks manageable on the surface but feels heavy, confusing, or exhausting underneath. Anxiety, depression, self-criticism, relationship patterns, illness, trauma or questions about meaning can build quietly over time.
Therapy offers a chance to pause, make sense of what’s happening, and move forward with more clarity and flexibility. If you’re open to thoughtful, collaborative work, I’d be glad to hear from you.
Nice to meet you,
I’m David.
I’m a licensed clinical social worker and psychotherapist in private practice, working with adults and couples who are thoughtful, capable, and often high-achieving, yet feel anxious, overwhelmed, or disconnected beneath the surface of their lives.
My path to psychotherapy has been shaped by a long-standing interest in how people make sense of suffering, identity, and change. My background bridges science, philosophy, contemplative practice, and contemporary psychotherapy, and continues to inform how I think about emotional pain, meaning, and transformation in clinical work.
Clinically, my approach is integrative and depth-oriented. I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment-based and trauma-informed psychotherapy, mindfulness-based approaches, and evidence-based modalities such as ACT, CBT, and Solution-Focused Therapy. Rather than applying a single model, I tailor the work to each individual, attending to both practical concerns and the deeper patterns of meaning, identity, and relationship that often underlie distress.
I enjoy working with adults across the lifespan navigating anxiety, depression, panic, ADHD, autism, trauma and PTSD, men’s issues, LGBTQ+ identities, and complex questions of identity and belonging. I also have a strong interest in supporting people facing chronic or acute illness, medical trauma, grief, and end-of-life concerns, where emotional pain and existential questions often intersect.
I also enjoy working with young adults and bring extensive experience from college counseling settings, supporting students as they navigate identity development, academic pressure, relationships, and the transition into adult life.
For clients who are interested, I offer optional animal-assisted therapy with my certified therapy dog. Some people find that the presence of a calm, attuned animal supports emotional regulation and a sense of safety in the therapeutic space. Participation is always optional and guided by clinical appropriateness.
My approach is collaborative, direct, and thoughtful. I value honesty, curiosity, and work that respects both emotional safety and meaningful change. Therapy with me is not about quick fixes or self-optimization, but about developing a more workable and compassionate relationship with yourself, others, and the realities of life.
My clinical work is shaped by both formal training and nearly two decades of ongoing contemplative practice, alongside long-standing engagement with philosophy and psychology.
Education
M.S.W. in Clinical Social Work, Boston College, Newton, MA
M.A. in Religious Studies (Buddhism), University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA
B.S. in Science & Indian Philosophy, Trinity College, Hartford, CT
Therapeutic Modalities
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Solution Focused-Therapy (SFT)
Mindfulness
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Narrative Therapy
Trauma-Informed Care
Existential Psychotherapy
Attachment-based Psychotherapy
Canine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Trainings & Certifications
Internal Family Systems (IFS)—Level 1
IFS Institute
Certified Therapy Dog Handler
Therapy Dogs United
Certified Mindfulness Meditation Teacher
Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program in collaboration with Sounds True & UCLA’s Greater Good Science Center
My Approach to Therapy?
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I work with people who are capable and reflective, yet feel stuck, anxious, or disconnected beneath the surface. Our work is not limited to managing symptoms, but focuses on understanding the deeper patterns—emotional, relational, and existential—that shape how you experience yourself and the world. The goal is meaningful, sustainable change rather than quick fixes.
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Rather than applying a single therapeutic model, I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), trauma-informed and attachment-based psychotherapy, mindfulness-based approaches, and evidence-based methods such as ACT, CBT, and Solution-Focused Therapy. This allows the work to be responsive to your needs, pacing, and goals, while remaining grounded and clinically appropriate.
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I have particular experience working with anxiety, depression, panic, ADHD, autism, trauma and PTSD, men’s issues, LGBTQ+ identities, and questions of meaning, identity, and belonging. I also bring extensive experience from college counseling settings, supporting young adults as they navigate academic pressure, relationships, identity development, and the transition into adult life, as well as individuals facing chronic or acute illness, grief, and end-of-life concerns.
You don’t have to figure this out alone
Therapy can help you understand patterns that keep repeating, respond differently to stress, and move forward with more clarity and flexibility. If you’re curious whether this approach is right for you, let’s start with a conversation.