David Lutes

My name is David Lutes and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of California with around 10 years of experience working in the mental health field. I have valued experience working in diverse mental and physical healthcare settings, including outpatient community mental health agencies, schools, psychiatric inpatient units of hospitals, and teletherapy. I have experience in collaborating with clients to assist them in improving their insight, strategies, coping skills, & thinking patterns to help manage depression, self-harm, anxiety, substance misuse, post-traumatic stress, schizophrenia, & bipolar disorders.

My approach

I hope to develop a comfortable and collaborative environment to help set the tone for a positive therapeutic connection with clients. I view mental health symptoms & substance misuse from a non-stigmatic & biopsychosocial model. I utilize evidence-based practices with the core modalities of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and other therapeutic strategies as part of my approach in an effort to produce positive outcomes for clients.

My focus

I typically work with adult populations experiencing substance misuse, depression, anxiety, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, life transitions, difficulties with managing stress, and schizophrenia for individual therapy. I am interested in working with diverse populations when it comes to gender, race, socioeconomic status, age, ethnicity, and other varied demographics.

My communication style

I strive to create a non-judgmental and client-centered environment for therapy. I hold the acts of showing empathy and active listening to be of great importance in developing a connection in a therapeutic relationship. I hope to create comfortable & positive interactions with a conscientious presence & calm demeanor.

My journey to mental healthcare

Like a number of professionals working in the mental health field, I have had some personal experiences that emphasize the importance of mental health as an integral part of one's overall wellness & general functioning and I have been an observer to some situations of mental health struggle in those around me. I developed an interest in the areas of psychology, neuroscience, social work, and therapy as the basis of knowledge that helped me develop on the path to becoming a therapist. I have had substantial experience as a care manager, assessment specialist, & therapist at a community mental health agency in which I helped clients with mental health diagnoses get access to assistance resources, ensured client access to physical & mental healthcare, advocated for clients in various situations, helped clients learn to increase insight & management of their mental health diagnoses. I continue to practice therapy because assisting a client throughout their journeys of growth toward mental health wellness is a very worthwhile & meaningful endeavor.

My goals for you

Therapeutic goals would be personalized to the client & developed in a collaborative way and be specific & observable to help track progress toward the goals. The goals would be referenced throughout the ongoing process of therapy to track the anticipated progress over time in managing mental health symptoms. Therapeutic goals could also be adjusted over time if some of them could be reached and some new goals could be introduced accordingly as new mental health symptoms & life situations might occur.

My first session with you

The first session would include a formal intake assessment covering a variety of important areas that would be important for getting to know the client on a clinical level and also some talk to know the client in a more personal way. I would leave some time open during the first session for questions and/or comments from the client. I would preface the intake assessment by letting the client know that some things would be skipped if the client is not comfortable with discussing them during the first meeting. The first session would conclude with collaboration on identifying therapeutic goals to work towards and a summary of the provider's thoughts about the tentative approach to start gradually improving mental health symptoms the client had identified as areas to focus on. It would also be important to inform the client about the preferred ways they could get into contact with the provider about scheduling complications going forward.