David Ackerman, LCSW

David Ackerman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New York with 22 years of experience. He works with adults on concerns such as stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, parenting questions, bipolar disorder, addictions, grief, and family of origin issues. Sessions focus on practical steps and clearer thinking rather than jargon.

His approach blends client-centered listening with emotion-focused and acceptance-based practices. He uses techniques from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Narrative Therapy to help people notice patterns that came from their family of origin and try different ways of relating. Sessions often involve talking through recurring roles, communication habits, and expectations that still shape daily life.

He also draws on motivational interviewing and psychodynamic ideas when they fit the situation. That can mean looking at long-standing patterns, naming how they show up now, and deciding on small experiments to try between sessions. Work can include coping skills for mood, sleep, or anger, and practical strategies for parenting or career stress.

David aims to build a working relationship with each person and to collaborate on clear goals. He tends to be interactive in session, asking questions, reflecting what he hears, and helping people map changes they want to make.

People who come for help often want straightforward conversation about how their early family life influences present choices. He encourages concrete steps for better communication, improved coping, and clearer personal boundaries.

Approaches used and how online sessions work