Professional statement
David Ley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the Lake View neighborhood in Chicago, IL who specializes in substance abuse, depression, anxiety, life transitions, relationships, and trauma. His practice is open to men and women of all ages and welcomes members of the LGBT community. He works with individuals couples and families.
David’s approach is rooted in Psychodynamic theory and helps people develop mindful awareness. Mindfulness is the mind’s process of observing the flow of thoughts, feelings and sensations as they pass through our awareness. By developing skillful observation of how our mind works we can reflect upon our actions and make conscious choices about how we want to define ourselves and interact with others. Through this approach, clients understand their symptoms and their motivation for wanting to get better and improve their lives. For those who need medication or more specialized or intensive levels of support, he maintains a list of active providers and will help with referrals.
David offers a safe space for clients to discover new coping strategies and new ways of thinking. He is there to support them on their journey towards feeling comfortable with themselves and with others. Outside of private practice, he works as a therapist at Erie Family Health Center where he helps primary care patients and their physicians address mental health and substance abuse issues and their impact on identified medical conditions. He has worked extensively with HIV and other chronic health illnesses. His office is conveniently located a few blocks east of Wrigley Field and is accessible via the Red line at Addison and buses 146 and 151.