Hi. I'm Dave.
I work with individuals, families, teams, and couples who want to better understand their relational patterns, especially during periods of transition or uncertainty.
My therapeutic approach is reflective and collaborative. Our work together is less about fixing and more about noticing what’s happening, making sense of it together, and choosing how to move forward with intention.
Key Focus Areas
Explore services designed to help you move forward with confidence, wherever you're headed next.
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Navigate the complex emotions of loss, find pathways to healing, and integrate significant life changes with compassion and resilience.
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Explore the unique challenges faced by men, addressing identity, emotional expression, societal expectations, and fostering authentic connection in relationships.
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Identify and transform recurring patterns that hinder intimacy and growth, fostering deeper understanding and healthier dynamics in your relationships.
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Discover and affirm your authentic self within your relational context, building a strong sense of purpose and personal agency.
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Cultivate a strong sense of self-worth, overcome self-doubt, and build confidence to pursue your goals and live authentically.
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Develop effective strategies for navigating family dynamics, improving communication, and supporting healthy development for both children and parents.
About Me
In 1999, at 25, I earned my Master’s degree in Marriage & Family Therapy from Seattle Pacific University, a newly married father to a delightful baby girl. My young family and I then moved to the Chicago area, where I began working with adolescents and their families in the Intensive Outreach Unit at the DuPage County Health Department. This intense, fulfilling work involved providing in-home family therapy to prevent hospitalization. During this period, I also began exploring a burgeoning fascination with web development, teaching myself HTML to write for an online advice column.
This nascent interest soon blossomed into a new professional path. After a year, I decided to dive deeper into web development, securing a role at a small tech startup where I learned my first programming language. The next 25 years were dedicated to software engineering, team leadership, and entrepreneurship. It was a wonderful journey that included co-authoring two books and the privilege of speaking at conferences worldwide while growing multiple successful companies. Throughout this career, I always championed a human-centered approach to leadership and nurtured a passion for guiding newcomers into the field.
In 2025, I read Terry Real's book, Us: Getting Past You and Me to Build a More Loving Relationship. This book catalyzed a return to my therapeutic roots. Inspired by Us, I immersed myself in Terry’s other works and enrolled at his Relational Life Institute, where I am currently pursuing certification as an RLT Therapist.
Additionally, I serve as an Associate Therapist at Pinnacle Counseling, receiving supervision to earn my LMFT. I continue to balance this with my part-time work as a software engineer and technical leader through my business, Red Squirrel Technologies.
Along the Way
My personal journey has been equally formative. I proudly raised three children, who are now adults building their own relationships and marriages. I was married to their mother for 20 years, a relationship that concluded in 2017. This experience, while challenging, became a profound teacher in understanding my self and the complexities of human connection. In 2019, I remarried and have since been actively raising my bonus son. As a father of four, a father-in-law, and with the joyful prospect of becoming a grandfather, young people are a significant part of my everyday life. My 26+ years as a husband have offered countless hard-won lessons about the dedication and effort required to foster strong, lasting relationships.