Psychotherapy for adults by video or phone
Whatever brings you here, we start there. I’m a licensed psychotherapist working with adults in Massachusetts, Florida, and Vermont.
Or call or text (786) 527-1616
Currently accepting new clients
You don’t need a diagnosis or a clear idea of what’s wrong. Most people start with something like this.
If yours isn’t on this list, that’s fine. We start with whatever is on your mind.
A few of the changes people hope for, and find.
I’m David Freshwater, a Licensed Mental Health Counselor with nearly a decade of clinical experience in community mental health clinics and private practice.
I welcome adults of every sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, race, ethnicity, and background. I have no set picture of how you should live or who you should become. The work is to find what you want, in your own terms, and to live by it.
I hold a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Brooklyn College and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Columbia University.
My training included being a patient myself, so I know this work from both sides.
Verified by Psychology Today · Videos about this work: @davidmfreshwater
I practice a form of talk therapy called Lacanian psychoanalysis. It aims at change at the root. Feeling better is part of it. The larger change is in how you relate to yourself, to other people, and to what you want.
In sessions you say what’s on your mind, and I listen closely. Nothing is off-topic, including dreams and passing thoughts. I ask questions and point out what stands out. Much of what troubles us has never been said out loud. Once it is put into words, it starts to lose its grip. People often notice they are acting differently before they can explain why.
There are no worksheets and no homework. We meet at least once a week, at a regular time, by video or phone. Meeting more often can deepen the work.
My work belongs to a family of treatments called psychoanalytic or psychodynamic therapy. It has been studied for decades, and three findings stand out.
A 2023 review of the research rated it an evidence-based treatment for depression, anxiety, long-standing personality difficulties, and physical symptoms tied to distress. Across 23 trials with 2,751 patients, it worked as well as other established treatments.
Leichsenring and colleagues, World Psychiatry, 2023
Steinert and colleagues, American Journal of Psychiatry, 2017
In 16 trials of long-term therapy for depression, the benefit was still there 12 to 18 months later. In an earlier analysis of 1,431 patients, people had improved further nine months after therapy ended.
Moser and colleagues, Depression and Anxiety, 2026
Shedler, American Psychologist, 2010
Among 129 adults whose depression had not lifted after at least two earlier treatments, 44% no longer had major depression two years after therapy ended, against 10% with usual care alone.
These studies describe groups of patients in therapies of different lengths. Results differ from person to person, and no therapist can promise an outcome.
Choose a time on my calendar that suits you.
You tell me what you want help with, and I answer your questions.
Only if we both think it’s a good fit.
No. Knowing that something isn’t right is enough to begin.
That’s fine. You don’t need to know how therapy works or what to say. We start with whatever is on your mind.
That happens often. Ways of managing a problem can wear thin over time. This work looks at what keeps producing it. In studies of this kind of therapy, people went on improving after it ended.
There is no fixed length. Some people come for a few months and others for longer. You decide when to stop.
$200 a session. I keep a small number of sliding-scale places, so ask me on the free call if you need one. Some insurance plans reimburse part of the fee, and I can show you how to check yours.
I’m an out-of-network provider, so I don’t bill insurance directly. I provide a monthly receipt, called a superbill, that you can submit to your plan. Whether you are reimbursed depends on your plan. I can show you how to check on the free call.
I am authorized to practice psychotherapy with people in Massachusetts, Florida, and Vermont. If you live elsewhere, contact me anyway and I’ll talk through your options with you.
Not ready to talk yet? Start with my free guide.
A free 15-minute call is the place to begin. If I’m not the right person to help, I’ll tell you and suggest where to look.
Opens my scheduling page in a new tab.
Before you go
Start with my free guide: three short practices you can do at home, on your own time.
Send me the free guide
