About LifeWorks AZ

Biography of David R. Abrams, MAPC, LPC, CAGS

Psychotherapist David Abrams is extremely passionate about assisting with changes and creating hope and health in the lives of children, teens, and adults through counseling. He has an eclectic, strengths-based approach to counseling and psychotherapy. He believes that empathy, rapport, and unconditional support provide the foundation where change can be facilitated. He works with children, teens, and adults with a wide array of mental health challenges.

A native of Phoenix, AZ, David graduated Magna Cum Laude from Arizona State University in 1998 with a BA in Psychology. In 2004, he received his Masters in Professional Counseling, MAPC, with a 3.9 GPA from Ottawa University. He graduated with a Certified Advanced Graduate Specialty, CAGS, in Marriage, Child, and Family Therapy, as well as another advanced graduate certification in Trauma, Abuse, and Deprivation Therapy.

David believes that highlighting and tapping into all the gifts and strengths people have makes all the difference in creating the changes they desire in their lives. He also believes that it is vital to obtain balance physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually in order to create the desired change.

He has a proven track record in the behavioral health field as he has worked in general mental health for more than two decades. His experience includes counseling severely mentally ill children, teens, adults, and their families. He also works with at-risk youth and families with severe behavioral challenges.

As an Arizona Licensed Professional Counselor, David is currently in private practice in Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tempe, Arizona. David’s areas of expertise include professional counseling, adult, child, and family counseling, trauma, abuse, and deprivation; and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

He also has experience working with ADHD, anger management, bipolar disorders, depression, anxiety, interpersonal relationships, behavior modification, grief and loss, careers, children and teens age 7-18, adults, emotional management, relaxation techniques, stress reduction, pain management, life skills, social skills, healthy relationships, goal setting, interviewing skills, sports mental training, and creating healthy changes in life.

David is an adjunct professor at Grand Canyon University. David has taught the following courses: professional ethics, multicultural counseling, counseling theories, co-occurring disorders, and intro to chemical dependency.

Prior to starting his private practice, David contracted with Tempe-based Cummings and Associates as a psychotherapist, working with children and teens in the Juvenile Court System.

David spent the first two years of his career in counseling as a family consultant for JFCS where he provided counseling to severely mentally ill children and teens with severe behavioral challenges and their families using a wide variety of techniques including behavior modification, anger management, social skills training, family systems therapy, play therapy, art therapy, sports therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, to name a few.

Prior to his work in counseling and psychotherapy, David spent seven years in sales and management for one of the largest medical distributors in the world. During that time, he won numerous awards and was promoted three times. He enjoyed his work, however, knew that he was missing out on his true passion – psychotherapy. Knowing that, he moved forward to pursue a career filled with purpose and passion in helping others help themselves.