PuttingFamilyFirst

The therapist listings are provided by BetterHelp and we will earn a commission if you use our link - at no cost to you.

DA Portrait of David Affolter
Online therapist

David Affolter

Practical, experienced counseling for family life

Book with David
Credentials
LMHC, LPCC
Experience
27 years
Licensed in
Florida, Ohio
Languages
English
Format
Online sessions

About David

David Affolter is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor who focuses on family and parenting concerns among a broad range of life issues. He brings 27 years of counseling experience and a history of working with people from many walks of life.

David writes and talks plainly in sessions and aims to help people figure out next steps when things feel stuck. He began his career after service in the Air Force and nearly two decades as a high school teacher and coach.

Background and approach

That classroom work shaped his approach - patient listening, practical guidance, and celebrating small changes. Those habits moved with him into graduate training in Community Counseling at The University of Akron and into clinical practice. In sessions he shares information, offers new perspectives, and helps clients decide where they want to go.

He uses familiar, direct language rather than technical terms. The focus is on building skills and habits that make daily life easier and align with what matters most to the individual. David draws on several well-established methods, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Client-Centered approaches.

He also uses tools from Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Motivational Interviewing when useful to the situation. These methods are used to address stress, anxiety, trauma, mood concerns, addictions, parenting challenges, and other listed areas. He practices in Ohio and holds licensure as FL LMHC MH6268 and OH LPCC E.2102075.

Sessions are offered in English and available through multiple online formats.

How therapy methods translate to online care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that fit their values. It is useful for stress, anxiety, and making life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical strategies to change unhelpful patterns; it can help with mood problems, panic, and many everyday struggles. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental listener who follows the client's lead and supports the client's own solutions; this approach helps people feel heard and understood.

Finding the right approach is a team effort. The therapist discusses goals, preferences, and what has or has not helped in the past, then adapts methods to fit the person. Sessions blend teaching, skills practice, and problem-solving so the client and therapist decide together what to try next.

Online sessions offer flexible ways to work: video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. Those options make it easier to fit support into busy days and to keep momentum between meetings. The formats allow ongoing contact, skill check-ins, and steady progress without needing to travel to an office.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Less about arguing with difficult thoughts, more about loosening their grip and acting on what matters to you anyway. Values and committed action carry the work, which suits conversation at a distance.

Client-Centered Therapy

The direction comes from you rather than from a set programme. The therapist offers a warm, non-judgemental space to think out loud and work at your own pace. Online, this rests on the relationship rather than on being in the same room.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT looks at the link between what you think, how you feel, and what you do. You work on noticing unhelpful patterns and practising steadier responses. It suits online sessions well, because much of the work happens between appointments and can be talked through from anywhere.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist address?
He works with many common problems including stress, anxiety, trauma, depression, addictions, relationship and family issues, parenting, grief, anger, and ADHD among other focus areas.
How would sessions feel and what is the style?
Sessions are conversational and practical. He listens, offers information and new perspectives, and helps clients choose concrete steps to move forward.
What is his background and experience?
He served in the Air Force, spent nearly twenty years as a high school teacher and coach, then completed a graduate degree in Community Counseling and has 27 years of clinical experience.
What credentials and location should I know about?
He holds FL LMHC MH6268 and OH LPCC E.2102075 and is based in Ohio.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English and he is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
He offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for remote work.
How is cost handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Specialties and expertise

Top specialties

Also works with

Therapeutic approaches

Experience
27 years
Licensed
Florida, Ohio
Languages
English

Next step

Talk to David

  • Takes a few minutes
  • Nothing to set up just to look
  • Stop at any point
Book with David