About David
David Affolter is a licensed mental health counselor with 27 years of experience helping people navigate stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, addiction, relationship and intimacy concerns, and life transitions. He writes plainly and listens closely to understand what each person needs. He aims to help clients find practical steps forward and regain a sense of direction.
He began his working life in the Air Force and then spent nearly two decades as a high school teacher and coach.
Background and approach
Those years shaped his approach - patient, straightforward, and focused on real change. He earned a graduate degree in Community Counseling from The University of Akron in 1994 and holds licensure as a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in Ohio and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida. In sessions he blends several approaches to match what a person is facing.
He draws on cognitive behavioral tools to address thinking patterns, acceptance and commitment ideas to clarify values, and client-centered listening to help people feel heard. Motivational interviewing and dialectical behavior ideas also appear when someone needs support with change or emotional regulation. He often helps people repair relationships, manage anger, recover from loss, and work through identity and purpose questions.
He also supports those dealing with process addictions, bipolar and mood disorders, panic, grief, and compassion fatigue. The focus is on small, doable steps that add up to lasting shifts. David keeps a calm, encouraging tone and treats progress as a collaborative effort.
He welcomes people who want clear guidance and steady support as they move toward new goals and healthier routines.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
David often uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people change how they relate to thoughts and behaviors. ACT focuses on identifying what matters to a person and taking steps toward those values even when difficult feelings remain. CBT helps people spot unhelpful thinking patterns and practice different responses to reduce symptoms like anxiety or panic.He also uses client-centered methods that prioritize listening and understanding. That approach creates space for someone to describe their experience while the therapist reflects and guides small, practical changes. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work together - the therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals and preferences.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow a face-to-face feel for skills practice and deeper conversation. Phone sessions can be useful when a quieter setting or lower bandwidth is needed. Live chat and messaging offer short check-ins, ongoing coaching, or flexible support between sessions. These formats make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to continue work from different locations.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Coaching
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Intimacy-related issues
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Relationship issues
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 27 years
- Licensed
- Florida, Ohio
- Languages
- English