David Eckelkamp, LCMHC-LMHC
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor
20+ years of experience in the mental health profession
David Eckelkamp LMHC-LCMHC
Education
David’s path to becoming a licensed clinical mental health counselor began with an interest in both psychology and the creative arts. At Bridgewater State University, he studied Psychology and Theater Arts, earning dual degrees in 1993. His experience in theater sparked an appreciation for the ways creativity, expression, and storytelling can help people understand themselves and connect with others.
That interest eventually led him to Lesley University, where he enrolled in the Expressive Therapy Program. In, XXXX, he earned a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Expressive Arts Therapy, bringing together his two longstanding passions, psychology and the arts, to help people explore their experiences, express what can be difficult to put into words, and discover new ways of understanding themselves and navigating life’s challenges.
Professional
For more than 20 years, David has worked with children, adolescents, and young adults in day programs, outpatient practices, and residential settings. Throughout his career, he has had the opportunity to work with people with a wide range of needs, challenges, and life experiences. This has led to developing a broad skill set and a deep understanding of the many ways people grow and develop.
For the past six years, David has provided individual outpatient therapy in Newton, Massachusetts. He is now bringing his practice to Brattleboro, Vermont, where he looks forward to continuing to support children, adolescents, and adults as they navigate challenges, build on their strengths, and develop greater confidence in themselves.
David is currently accepting new clients.
Specializations
David takes an integrative approach to therapy, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and expressive arts to help clients better understand themselves and create meaningful change. He works with a range of concerns, including ADHD, depression, anxiety, difficulties with self regulation, and trauma related challenges.
Over the years, David has developed a creative and practical approach to problem solving that can be adapted to each person’s developmental stage, personality, and unique way of experiencing the world. His understanding of behavioral neurology provides an additional lens for understanding how thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and the nervous system interact and how that understanding can be used to support lasting therapeutic change.
The Arts
The arts have been an important part of David’s life long before they became part of his work as a therapist. After completing his undergraduate degree, he continued to pursue his creative interests, acting and helping to produce local theater while also working as a photographer. A self taught musician, David learned to play guitar, bass, and drums and went on to perform with a local band for several years.
These experiences shaped David’s understanding of the powerful role the arts play in our lives. Music, theater, photography, and other forms of creative expression can help us make sense of our experiences, connect with one another, and give shape to emotions that can be difficult to express in words.
David believes that the arts are the handles by which we hold emotion in community. They give us ways to carry, share, explore, and understand the experiences that make us human. This perspective continues to be central to how he works with clients today.
David’s office for individual and group session work is in the Vermont Building in Brattleboro, VT.