About David A. Heilman, Psy.D.
People often come to therapy because something in their lives no longer feels workable. They may feel stuck, overwhelmed, or unsure how they arrived at a place that feels far from where they hoped to be. Sometimes the problem is clear. Other times it is harder to name, but there is a sense that something important needs attention. Therapy can offer a space to slow down, take stock, and begin to understand what may be happening beneath the surface.
My role as a psychologist is to help create the conditions for that kind of careful exploration. I work collaboratively, with attention to emotional patterns, relationships, and the meanings people make of their experiences. Over time, this work can support greater clarity, flexibility, and a stronger sense of agency in one’s life.
Finding the right therapist matters. The work depends on having a relationship that feels workable, respectful, and honest. If the way I describe my approach resonates with you, that can be a useful place to start in deciding whether we might be a good fit.
My Approach to Therapy
At the center of my work is the belief that meaningful change happens through relationship. The therapeutic relationship itself often becomes a place where familiar patterns emerge and can be explored with care and openness. Together, we look at how past and present experiences shape emotional responses, expectations, and ways of relating to others.
My approach is collaborative, direct, and grounded. I aim to create a space that feels thoughtful and emotionally safe, where difficult conversations can be approached with honesty and care. Therapy can sometimes feel challenging, especially when it involves sitting with uncertainty or looking closely at long-standing patterns, but it can also be deeply meaningful. Many people find that this kind of work supports greater self understanding, more satisfying relationships, and a greater sense of freedom from anxiety or self criticism.
For additional information on frequently asked questions about starting therapy with me, please see my FAQs page.
Training and Professional Background
I am a licensed psychologist in Washington, DC (PSY1001615), and Virginia (0810008978), and earned my doctoral degree in clinical psychology from The George Washington University’s Professional Psychology Program. While completing my doctorate, I also earned a Graduate Certificate in LGBT Health Policy and Practice, reflecting an early and sustained focus on LGBTQ+ mental health.
During my training, I completed clinical work at American University’s Counseling Center and Georgetown University’s Counseling and Psychiatric Service, and later completed my predoctoral internship at Virginia Commonwealth University’s University Counseling Services, where my work emphasized group psychotherapy and LGBTQ+ populations. While I was a doctoral student, I co-founded the Support and Identity Discovery Psychotherapy Group for Gay Men at The George Washington University’s Center Clinic. After completing my degree, I later joined the faculty at GW, where I taught coursework in LGBTQ+ mental health.
I am a member of the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA), the Mid-Atlantic Group Psychotherapy Society (MAGPS), the DC Psychological Association, and PSYPACT, and I remain actively engaged in consultation and continuing education as part of my ongoing clinical work.
LGBTQ+ Affirmative Work and Internalized Homophobia
A central focus of my clinical and scholarly work has been supporting LGBTQ+ individuals, particularly gay men, in understanding and working through the effects of internalized stigma, shame, and minority stress. My graduate research examined the role of group psychotherapy in addressing internalized homophobia in gay men, and this work was later published in the International Journal of Group Psychotherapy.
Internalized homophobia refers to the ways negative societal messages about sexual orientation can become absorbed over time and turned inward. Even in affirming environments, these experiences can shape self concept, relationships, and emotional life in subtle and persistent ways. They may show up as chronic self doubt, difficulty with intimacy, fear of visibility, or a sense of disconnection from oneself or others.
In my clinical work, I help LGBTQ+ clients explore how these dynamics may be operating in their lives, often in ways that are not immediately obvious. My approach to LGBTQ+ affirmative therapy emphasizes careful attention to shame, internal conflict, and relational patterns, while also supporting greater self understanding, self acceptance, and connection.
Much of this work draws on relational, psychodynamic, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and group based perspectives that emphasize belonging, meaning, and the healing potential of authentic connection. For many people, this kind of exploration becomes an important part of building a more integrated and sustainable sense of self.
ADHD, Attention, and Emotional Regulation
A significant part of my work focuses on adults with adult ADHD, many of whom come to therapy after years of feeling misunderstood, overwhelmed, or self critical. Some arrive with a recent diagnosis, while others have long suspected that attention related differences have shaped their experiences without having language for it.
In my work with adults with ADHD, I focus not only on attention and organization, but also on the emotional and relational impact of long-standing difficulties with attention, organization, and follow through. Over time, many people develop patterns of shame, frustration, or self doubt after repeated experiences of falling short of expectations, both their own and others’.
Therapy can offer space to better understand how attention, motivation, emotion regulation, and self evaluation interact. This often includes developing more compassionate and realistic ways of working with attention, building structures that fit the person rather than forcing rigid systems, and addressing the emotional residue that accumulates over time.
This work often overlaps with anxiety, depression, and relationship difficulties. Rather than treating these as separate problems to be fixed, I tend to think about how they influence and reinforce one another over time. In therapy, we work collaboratively to make sense of these patterns and to support greater flexibility, clarity, and steadiness in everyday life.
Performance Anxiety and High Stakes Work
Before training as a psychologist, I worked as a professional opera singer and studied at The Juilliard School, The San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and Music Academy of the West. That experience continues to shape my understanding of what it means to perform under pressure and to have one’s work evaluated in highly visible, high stakes settings.
Performance anxiety is not limited to musicians or performers. It often shows up in professionals whose work involves scrutiny, responsibility, or the expectation to perform well under pressure. This can include people in law, medicine, academia, leadership, and other demanding fields. Concerns about judgment, perfectionism, and failure can gradually narrow a person’s sense of freedom and confidence.
In my work with performance anxiety, I draw on both my lived experience as a performer and my clinical training as a psychologist. Therapy often involves understanding how anxiety operates in the moment, how self criticism takes hold, and how performance becomes tied to identity or self worth. Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety entirely, the focus is on developing a more workable relationship with it, one that allows for presence, flexibility, and authenticity under pressure.
For many people, this work also connects to broader questions about identity, ambition, and self trust. Therapy can provide a space to explore these themes thoughtfully, while building ways to approach high pressure situations with greater steadiness and confidence.
Working Together
I see clients in my Washington, DC office near Dupont Circle and also offer teletherapy for clients located in PSYPACT participating states. My practice includes individual therapy, couples work, and group psychotherapy.
If you are considering therapy and wondering whether working together might feel like a good fit, you’re welcome to reach out. I’m glad to answer questions and help you think through what next steps might make sense for you.