David Cayton

Aloha! My name is David Cayton, and I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) who was born in and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area and enjoys working with clients from all communities throughout California via teletherapy. I specialize in anxiety, depression, mood disorders, adjustment issues, and stress among teens, college-aged youth, and other adults. I use Cognitive-Behavioral, Humanistic, Rational Emotive Behavior, and Reality therapies to assist you in making positive changes to feel emotionally stronger and happier.

My approach

I passionately believe there should not be a cookie-cutter approach to therapy, as it should be tailored toward each client's unique situation(s), needs, and strengths for it to be effective. I view our relationship through a teamwork approach in which you are an expert on yourself, and we work together towards developing and meeting your treatment goals. I typically use a mix of Cognitive-Behavioral (CBT), Humanistic, Rational Emotive Behavior, and Reality therapies to listen and unconditionally accept you, gain perspective on how you structure and view reality, and your needs, and shed light on how your decisions are impacting your life choices.

My focus

I enjoy working with teens, young adults, and adults ranging into older adulthood who are going through major life transitions, having unhelpful/negative thoughts, struggling with difficult/complicated feelings, and/or being frustrated with everyday stressors. You may experience anxiety, depression, feeling overwhelmed/unable to cope, school and/or employment issues, family conflicts, relationship concerns, financial problems, loneliness, emptiness, and health conditions. In our work, I'll help you to develop positive coping skills, empowering you to work through these challenges with a renewed sense of self and accomplishment.

My communication style

In everyday life and therapy, my communication style is relaxed, friendly, compassionate, respectful, non-judgmental, attentive, and conversational in nature. I also enjoy using humor in therapy because smiles, laughter, and fun are part of healing. A goal in our sessions is for you to feel as if you can be open and honest about anything you want to talk about without fear of being viewed or judged in a negative way. Of course, being this free in sharing may not come automatically for you and may take some sessions to develop; some things come in time.

My journey to mental healthcare

I've had my struggles relating to school, self-esteem, anxiety, work, and depression, which prompted therapy at different times. Therapy was a safe space to explore and make things better without judgment. I've had many positive experiences as a client. I'm now a therapist who helps people better understand themselves and give back through my work.

My goals for you

In keeping with a teamwork and individualistic approach to therapy, developing your goals is a strengths-based, collaborative process in which we'll determine how you want to define realistic, obtainable progress in our work. Solidifying those goals may not always come in our initial session, but over some time we become more comfortable with each other and figure out how the therapy process best works for you. We'll revisit your goals often and gauge progress toward your goals. My goal as a therapist is to eventually work myself out of a job because you no longer need me.

My first session with you

Our first session will be about what brought you into therapy and getting to know what you're feeling, experiencing, and thinking. No one client brings the same story to therapy, so listening and hearing your perspective is key before beginning treatment. Our session is about getting to know you and developing the beginnings of trust and expectations for therapy. It's the beginning of mapping out goals and how therapy should progress.