Dave Payne, LPCC

—Counseling for Anxiety—
Treating anxiety is not as simple as “take deep breaths” or “don’t worry, be happy.” But you can learn effective ways to deal with anxiety and loosen its grip on your day-to-day life. There’s plenty you can learn to do to treat anxiety if it’s an ongoing part of your life. Happiness is attainable. I want to help. I know life can be significantly better with proper anxiety treatment.
(Please see my website’s Individual Counseling page for more details.)

—Individual Counseling & Skills Training For Adults With ADHD—
If you have ADHD, you know that a lot of the advice you receive from others (who don’t have ADHD) doesn’t seem to work. This is because ADHD isn’t simply about having a little trouble paying attention sometimes. I can help you learn more about your ADHD patterns, identify areas in your life where ADHD is most challenging, and teach you effective strategies & techniques for managing your challenges.
(Please see my website’s ADHD page for more details.)

—LGBTQ+ Care Qualifications—
I’ve written a lot about LGBTQ+ Care because it’s a topic I’m deeply passionate about.

While I do attend trainings to become a better provider specifically for LGBTQIA+ clients, most of my knowledge and understanding in this area actually comes from many interactions with friends, family, and clients who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community. I most recently obtained the LGBTQIA+ Training Certificate in 2022. However, I realize that trainings alone do not automatically make someone an “expert” on any topic.

As you know, homophobia, transphobia, and other oppressive prejudices are pervasive in America. Many people have felt emboldened to be even more open and vocal about their prejudiced views since the 2016 election of Donald Trump, and the past year in particular has been filled with a lot of anti-LGBTQIA+ legislation.

As a cisgender, heterosexual man, I cannot claim to know *firsthand* how unsafe and unseen many people are feeling in our country right now. However, the topic of anti-LGBTQIA+ hate and legislation is very important to me—it hurts my close friends, beloved family, and amazing clients. I actively advocate for diversity and acceptance in my community. I attend local school board meetings to speak against the hateful rhetoric of Moms For Liberty (M4L), who are trying to erase LGBTQIA+ books and inclusive curriculum from schools. I also Admin a Facebook group (Cincinnati Therapists for Social Justice) that was formed in 2020 because some therapists in the main FB group didn’t want to acknowledge the existence of homophobia and racism.

The Progress Pride flag (with the word “ALLY” on it) can be found in noticeable spots on my website, social media profiles, emails, and in my therapy backdrop. It serves as a welcome to people in LGBTQIA+ communities, reminding them that they are safe and welcome in my counseling sessions. It also serves as a notice to other potential clients that I will not tolerate hateful/discriminatory language or ideals in therapy sessions.