David Holmes

About David

David provides Individual and Couples Counselling. He is an Adlerian Psychotherapist, Registered Clinical Counsellor, and a Canadian Certified Counsellor at Clear Counselling private practice in downtown Vancouver.

Areas of specialization include:

Grief Counselling
Work – Life Transition
Men’s Sexual Health and Identity Concerns
Relationship Counselling
Cross-Cultural Relationship Counselling (i.e. Canada-Brazil)

From a positive psychology Adlerian perspective, his belief is that everyone has a fundamental need to connect with others, and that people thrive when they feel accepted, understood, and achieve a sense of belonging. “Community is fundamental to happiness and positive mental health; and life is about giving more, not getting more.”

David’s approach is to build on your strengths, moving you from where you are to where you want to be. His natural presence and skill fosters trust as an important natural therapeutic relationship to work in. He creates a caring and nurturing space for clients to express their feelings, emotions, behaviours, and relationships. David’s compassionate nature brings to the counselling relationship the sense of safety, support, and encouragement you need. When clients are facing difficult life tasks, he provides and encourages clients to explore new ways to approach their concerns, help shift perspectives, and provide fresh insights to achieve them.

Areas of client concerns have included:

Anxiety
Burnout
Contemplating or facing life changes
Depression
Feeling “stuck”
Low self-confidence
Panic Attacks
Poor communication skills
Workplace stressors
Working through barriers to be the Best Version of themselves

Within his areas of specialization, concerns may include:

Grief Counselling: profound sadness and anger, or guilt and regret. Some clients have trouble processing the range of emotions and conflicting feelings surrounding the loss of a loved one.

Work and Life Transitions: stressors that make people resistant to change. For some, it can be examining their “blind spots” that prevent them from recognizing the right time to make a transition. His philosophy is that it is never too late to improve one’s standing in life, noting that the best way to live is to grow and the only way we can grow is if we open ourselves to change.

Men’s Sexual Health and Identity Concerns: psychological, biological, social, and behavioral factors behind sexual issues or relationship insecurities that are creating barriers and holding men back from connecting. He provides a supportive space for men to discuss intimate issues and help them explore these concerns.

David is a native Vancouverite. Prior to counselling, David enjoyed a long and successful Marketing career for Sony Pictures (Los Angeles, Toronto) and has also provided many years of volunteering in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. These varied life experiences in working with a broad cross-section of people not only drew him to help others directly within a counselling setting but provided the foundation for making David highly relatable to diverse groups of people. David continues attending various workshops developing his craft and professional development at places, such as the Health Initiative for Men (HIM), the Adler Centre, and the North American Society for Adlerian Psychology.

Challenges in work and life do not have to be faced alone. Call to make an appointment.