Daniel Held

I'm Dan Held, a Licensed Independent Social Worker in Ohio with over 30 years of clinical experience working with individuals, couples, families, and groups to resolve painful issues of depression, anxiety, grief, traumatic memories, and relational conflicts.

My approach

Persona - Client-centered, Motivational interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Dialectic Behavioral Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

My focus

I typically start with a combination of Narrative and Dialectal Behavioral Therapies, focusing on updating one's life story to include the current page, paragraph, sentence, and words of description. Living in the present moment of here and now with one's body (which can only live in the present, not in the past or future) becomes the core value to affirm. Then I move more into Cognitive Behavioral Therapy aimed at teaching people two skills: (1) how to then visit the past and visit the future and challenge old assumptions from "there and then" that create depression and anxiety if not based on factual evidence, then restore (re-story) their lives so in their future they can become the best version of themselves.

My communication style

At age 77 myself, I am everybody's Grandpa or older (younger on rare occasions) neighbor who likes listening to life stories, understanding meaningful details, with lots of reflective listening to make sure I'm understanding correctly. I convey both unconditional positive regard, or non-judgmental acceptance, and a belief in everyone's ability to make his/her/their own best decisions if able to first gather enough correct information. It's all about improving my client's self-determination.

My journey to mental healthcare

Began graduate school for theology and went through a crisis of faith, became an agnostic, remained committed to "helping other people in their times of need" and changed my academic focus to Social Work. After my MSW at Ohio State, I worked in 3 different counseling clinics in the Dayton, OH metro region for about 25 years before returning to seminary and taking on my MDiv, and entering into parish ministry as an ordained clergy. I've continued working clinically, as well, with my focus evolving from more in the area of family systems (marital & family therapy) to individual & group therapy, and now focusing more on helping people with issues of past trauma, grief, addiction, aging, social anxiety, relational conflict, and faith deconstruction. My larger mission in life is to help people transform their thinking from "faith in Fear and doubt in Love" to "faith in Love and doubt in Fear." I'm all about "More Love less fear" one person at a time.

My goals for you

I try to best understand how folks want their future to be different from their past or their present, and how they want it to be the same. Growth goals and maintenance goals are then established.

My first session with you

Affirmation of client's courage in asking for this service. Then it's usually some variation of "Tell me what it's like to be you lately and how you'd like it to be different by the time we finish working together here."