David Chmielecki
A client comes in to see her therapist and is 10 minutes late. She sits down and apologizes for her tardiness, to which the therapist replies that no apologies are necessary as clients are only late for their first session. The vignette illustrates something that I see in clients repeatedly who come into my office. Many should have come in at least a year or two ago but for some reason think that the problems they experience are still manageable. While I admire the will of many of those who still manage life like the proverbial Dutch Boy and the dike, I believe that asking for help is a strength of its own. In therapy, I come from the perspective of someone that had to receive help at various times in my life. I've also had a meandering career path, meaning that I've worked in several fields and industries prior to becoming a therapist and have been able to do ground-level empathizing with people who work in blue and white-collar professions.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The client and I will get to work starting with session #1. In my experience, clients want their emotional pain gone yesterday. The work we do will become part of the rapport building and he/she will be given one or two tools when they leave on session one. Of course, said tools won't be everything, but they will definitely be a start.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
Because of my life path, I'm able to effectively mentalize with issues that clients are going through. I've been told that I have the ability to understand a client's experience from their point of view, which makes them feel more welcome and that they won't be judged.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
People who have either given up or have given up on finding meaning their lives and feel they are consigned to a life of a gray mediocrity at best. I've also worked with couples who feel deadlocked into a seemingly never-ending cycle of arguments that are interrupted only by a fragile peace.
Location
VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
This type of therapy helps with many different clients. It provides a concrete understanding of how and why the client thinks in certain ways in a way that the client can understand and take with them in their everyday life.
Adlerian
Rather than seeking out where the symptoms come from, the therapy looks at behaviors and beliefs as coping mechanisms that people hold onto, even if they've outlasted their use and so the client and I work to find out why the client holds onto them.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I find that this type of therapy is applicable to many types of clients, which have issues with anger, impulsivity, and stress management.
EMDR
I use this as my primary therapy for PTSD. Much of the work is done in session, though clients can elect to use interventions outside of session.
Gottman method
This is my primary method of couples' therapy, which centers around the way members of the couple communicate and respond to each other
14 ratings with written reviews
December 4, 2025
David is a great listener open to various skills and therapy modalities and overall an excellent therapist. 10/10 would recommend
Verified client, age 35-44
November 19, 2025
David was attentive, direct, and gave us great tools to move forward after an initial session. I appreciated the more aggressive approach because of where I’d felt we are in our relationship at this point. David was also able to redirect the convo as needed and gave valuable insight. I look forward to future discussions!
Verified client, age 25-34
November 6, 2025
What stands out to me about David is that he provides an understanding on the W’s. Why, what and when is very important to identify both problems and solutions. He also is not bashful when giving his thoughts, experiences and feelings. He is far from the just listening and asking what you feel or think on the matter. He identifies, define and then gives solutions. I actually feel hopeful and uplifted, when previously after other sessions I was felt defeated and ready for a drink.