DAVID BLACKER, M.A., LMFT #145698
LICENSED MARRIAGE AND FAMILY THERAPIST
Compassionate and affirmative psychotherapy for teens, adults, couples and families.
(323) 435-0051
WELCOME.
I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
Do you ever sit back and think, "This is not how I thought my life was going to turn out." We all have. Life is messy. Relationships are hard. Parenting? Don’t even get me started! Everyone has a story. Everyone has gone through something that has changed them. Maybe your situation has left you worried, discouraged, lonely and struggling to stay afloat. Perhaps you’ve been othered, bullied or made to feel less than by societal expectations. Or maybe the pandemic—and other upsetting current events—has left you feeling a loss of control, stuck or even hopeless at times. You are not alone. It’s easy to feel out of sorts when the world has been out of sorts.
I imagine you're here because you don't want to feel this way anymore. You're ready for something to change. Therapy could be the step you take that changes how you respond to life’s challenges.
I MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND WALK ALONGSIDE THEM TO WHERE THEY WANT TO BE.
Psychotherapy can be a powerful tool to help you build a better understanding of yourself, gain confidence and develop more fulfilling ways of moving through the world. By deepening your self-awareness and building upon your existing strengths, you’ll likely be better prepared to manage daily stressors and the anxiety and sadness that can sometimes get the best of you. Whatever your situation, my goal is to work alongside you to help you find the clarity, purpose and strength that I believe already resides within you.
If you've made it this far, maybe it's time to give therapy a try. Take that next step and contact me. During a free 15 minute phone consultation we can determine if my therapeutic style is a good fit for your current needs.
ABOUT ME
Hey there. My name is David Blacker (he/him/his). I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist (#145698) working in private practice. I provide in-person therapy in Los Angeles and online therapy throughout California via Telehealth. I am a graduate from Antioch University where I earned a Masters in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in LGBTQIA+ Affirmative Psychology. Prior to that I received my Bachelor's degree in communications from Pennsylvania State University and worked as a writer and creative director in the advertising industry for more than twenty years. Just like my advertising clients were the storytellers of their brands, you are the storyteller of your life and only you have the power to rewrite it.
In-person office sessions or virtual Telehealth sessions from the comfort and convenience of your home—you choose.
MY SERVICES
INDIVIDUAL PSYCHOTHERAPY
(adults, teens, pre-teens)
This time is just for you. Each one-on-one session is tailored to your needs, focused on your goals and interwoven with evidence-based psychotherapy techniques. Through our work together you will gain confidence in your own strengths and in your ability to call on these powerful assets in any situation. Over time we monitor your progress and celebrate as you become the best, most authentic version of yourself.
AREAS OF FOCUS
anxiety and depression
self-esteem / self-image
LGBTQIA+ affirming therapy
navigating and celebrating identity (gender and sexuality)
identity-based trauma and oppression
parenting stress
relationship challenges
family dynamics
communication skill building
divorce and co-parenting
work stress / career navigation
creative blocks
life transitions and phase of life changes
grief, loss and loneliness
perfectionism and inadequacy
unresolved shame
WHO YOU ARE
First and foremost, as an anti-racist and LGBTQIA+ affirming therapist, I am passionate and committed to working with all marginalized populations. This includes...
LGBTQIA+ individuals
LGBTQIA+ parents
BIPOC
adults
pre-teens and adolescents
couples
families
creative professionals
While I specialize in working with gay parents, members of the LGBTQIA+ community and those in creative professions, I’m certainly not limited to those populations. I welcome anyone who wants to work on having a deeper self-awareness, more meaningful relationships and a desire to create positive and lasting changes.
What to expect when working with me:
MY APPROACH TO THERAPY
I don’t believe in a ‘one size fits all’ approach to therapy; and therefore, our sessions will be uniquely tailored to you and your needs. I believe you are the expert of your own life, and I will work to help facilitate discovery, understanding, change and/or acceptance in whatever way is most comfortable for you, meeting you where you are. I would describe my therapeutic style as client-centered, strength-based, solution-focused and collaborative. My treatment approach integrates elements from a variety of therapies and techniques that are explained below in more detail. I practice through an LGBTQ+ affirmative lens that highlights clients’ existing strengths, honors their cultural influences, celebrates the things that make them special, while also recognizing and addressing the negative influences that homophobia, transphobia and heterosexism have on the lives of LGBTQ+ people. Creating a solid therapeutic relationship is vital and as such, we will work to build a collaborative environment that fosters a sense of trust, humor and compassion.
My goal is to empower clients to find value in their unique identities, to foster resilience, to expand their awareness and to build the confidence they may need to confront past trauma, build strong interpersonal relationships or more effectively regulate their emotions.
I begin with a warm person-centered approach. From there, my work borrows from each of the following modalities:
Narrative therapy to help you become the author of your own positive story—one that's full of new possibilities.
Strength-based / solution-focused therapy to concentrate on your existing strengths and internal resources so that you can overcome difficulties and reach your goals as quickly as possible.
Psychodynamic therapy to explore the depth of your history by looking at how your past experiences and relationships influenced your development.
Attachment-based therapy to help you overcome the effects of negative early attachment issues with your caregivers by establishing a secure, safe and supportive bond between you (the client) and me (the therapist).
Cognitive-Behavioral therapy to identify harmful thoughts, assess whether they are an accurate depiction of reality, and, if they are not, employ strategies to challenge and overcome them.
Mindfulness Based Practices to become better able to separate yourself from negative thoughts, painful emotions and bodily sensations before they become too overwhelming or destructive.
While all of these interventions involve validation, empathy and a non-judgemental stance, I will also be here to challenge you and confront you on deep rooted thoughts and behaviors that no longer serve you.
TRAINING & LIFE EXPERIENCE
Prior to entering private practice I received my clinical training at Counseling West, a non-profit counseling center where I provided individual, couples and group therapy to clients presenting with a wide range of clinical issues, such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, shame, gender and sexual identity and phase of life changes. I then spent two years working at TherapyUnscripted under the supervision of Michael Anthony-Nalepa (LMFT #101240). For the past two years I worked with teenagers in the role of resident advisor at Teen Line, a crisis hotline in partnership with Cedars Sinai and Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services.
As a married gay man and father, I am especially passionate about working with the LGBTQIA+ community as they navigate the uncharted waters of starting families, offering the guidance and support I wish I had during my son’s adoption process. To that end, for the past ten years, I have been a contributing writer for a parenting website called GAYS WITH KIDS, where I write monthly articles that speak to the joys and challenges of parenting within the gay community. As a person who changed careers in their 40s, I often work with other people in transition, looking to make big changes in their lives, both professionally (second careers) and personally (becoming a new parent, coming out, caring for aging parents, etc.). My previous career working as a writer and creative director makes me especially attuned to the needs of creative professionals. I am also very familiar with the unique challenges of working in the entertainment industry, and many of my clients work in TV and film.
FEES
My standard fee for individuals is $195 for a 50-minute session. For relationship partners and families, my fee is $220. A sliding scale is available for low income and underemployed individuals on a case-by-case basis. Please contact me for more information on availability and rates.
INSURANCE
I am not on any insurance panels. However, if you have out-of-network benefits and would like to submit a record of our sessions to your insurance company for reimbursement, please request a superbill of services during our initial session. Check with your insurance provider about their reimbursement policies regarding receiving mental health services from a licensed marriage and family therapist.
CANCELLATION POLICY
I understand that sometimes things come up that prevent you from making it to your scheduled appointment. That said, in order to provide each client with the best availability possible, I endorse a 24-hour cancellation period. If for any reason you need to cancel our session, please do so within 24 hours. Failure to do so will result in a charge for the full session fee. Missed appointments (i.e. no shows) will be charged the full session fee.
READY WHEN YOU ARE
If you’re ready for a safe, affirming space to begin to heal old wounds and practice new ways of engaging with yourself, others and the world around you, call, email or fill out the below contact form so we can talk about the path forward. I offer a free 15-minute phone consultation. Reach out and we can discuss your challenges and goals and together we can decide if I'm the right therapist for you.
(phone) 1-323-435-0051 (email) davidblackertherapy@gmail.com
LET'S CONNECT
Please use this form to inquire about working together and to schedule your free 15-minute phone consultation.
Office location:
4221 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 290-17, Los Angeles, CA 90010
(323) 435-0051