Dave Rutschman, LPCC
my background & training
I bring a range of life experiences to my work as a therapist. I've been a truck driver, a writer, an editor, an arts administrator, a college professor and a Zen monk. I'm also a husband and a father, and for the last nine years, I've worked as a hospice grief counselor. All of these aspects of my background inform my work as a therapist, and I welcome and invite all the varied aspects of your background to enter our work together as well.
My license to practice psychotherapy in California is LPCC #2455. I'm a lifetime member of the California Association of Licensed Professional Clinical Counselors, and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
my approach
In my graduate school training, and especially in my years in hospice, I've come to learn that there is no one approach that will work with every client or family. My job, as I understand it, is to work very hard to see what tools and frameworks might be most helpful to you right now, in the particular complexity of your life, and to offer those tools and frameworks in a spirit of flexibility and optimism. I'm particularly attuned to those moments in our work together that can serve to connect you more fully to your own deepest values and to your capacities for creativity, resilience, and wisdom.
A few general principles that I trust:
Each of us, each moment, experiences our life in a unique and particular way.
The job of a good therapist is to work very hard to understand a client's particular way of experiencing.
Change in therapy is born out of the relationship between therapist and client.
Each of us knows much more than we think we do.
availability
I'm generally available for daytime and evening appointments.
fees
My fees are comparable to most other therapists in the area. It's really important to me that finances not keep you away from the support you need, so I often reduce my rate for clients who aren't able to afford my usual fee. Please just ask.
I don't currently accept private insurance, although I am happy to provide you with the invoice you need if your insurance company reimburses you for out of network providers.
location
My office is located at 516 Oakland Ave., Oakland, CA. There's plenty of free parking.
phone: (510) 565-2612
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]