Meet Dave

I'm passionate about helping people find hope, healing, and practical ways to move forward through life's challenges. I earned my Master of Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am currently an Associate Licensed Counselor (ALC) in Alabama, practicing under the supervision of Tonya Hillman, MS, LPC-S. Over the past decade, I've had the privilege of working in a variety of mental health settings, supporting children, adolescents, adults, couples, and families through some of life's most difficult moments.

My journey into counseling began while working with adolescents in a long-term inpatient psychiatric facility. There, I witnessed firsthand how trauma, mental health challenges, and family relationships can shape a person's life. I also experienced the incredible difference that compassion, understanding, and effective therapy can make. Those experiences inspired me to become a therapist and dedicate my career to helping others rediscover hope, heal, and create meaningful change.

Today, I also serve as a Clinical Specialist with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Working alongside individuals during moments of profound emotional pain has continually reminded me that hope can return—even when someone can't yet see it for themselves. That experience continues to shape the care I strive to provide at Next Steps Counseling, where every person feels safe, heard, understood, and never alone.

Whether you're feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, working through trauma or grief, navigating relationship challenges, facing a major life transition, or simply feeling stuck, you don't have to face it alone. Together, we'll explore the challenges you're facing, recognize and build upon your strengths, and develop practical, evidence-based strategies to help you move forward with confidence.

I believe you are the expert on your own life. My role isn't to tell you what to do, but to walk alongside you with compassion, encouragement, and evidence-based guidance as you discover what living your best life truly means for you. Healing looks different for everyone, and together we'll create a path that reflects your values, your goals, and the future you want to build.

I'm honored you've taken the time to learn a little about me, and I look forward to walking alongside you as we take the next steps toward hope, healing, growth, and living your best life—together.