David Martinez, LCSW

David Martinez is a licensed clinical social worker with 16 years of experience in New Mexico. He practices in a straightforward, respectful way and focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and substance use concerns. He also supports people facing grief, parenting strain, intimacy and relationship struggles, and problems with sleep or eating.

He has extensive experience with trauma and abuse and has worked with people affected by severe trauma. He has run domestic violence programs and understands the effects of interpersonal family violence. His background includes work with people who have serious mental health needs and problematic drug use.

David uses a flexible approach that is tailored to each person's situation. He draws on client-centered methods to listen and build a plan around what matters to the individual. He also uses cognitive behavioral tools to help identify unhelpful thinking and to practice different ways of coping.

Attachment-based ideas inform his work with people who struggle with trust, closeness, or patterns from early relationships. Motivational interviewing is another tool he uses when people want help making changes, such as cutting back substance use or improving daily routines.

Sessions are aimed at practical steps and clear goals. David works with people on coping skills, emotion regulation, problem solving, and parenting supports when needed. He encourages honest conversation and adapts pace and focus to each person’s needs.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work

Attachment-based work focuses on patterns of closeness and trust that come from early relationships. Online sessions can use this approach to look at those patterns and practice different ways of connecting or setting boundaries. Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and building a plan shaped around the person's goals; this works well by keeping sessions focused on what the person wants to change.

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, helps people notice thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going and then practices small changes. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating issues, and for coping with stressful life changes, and it adapts well to a talk-based format online.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their needs, goals, and comfort level. That might mean combining approaches or shifting emphasis as progress is made.

Practical benefits of online therapy include fitting sessions into a busy week and reducing travel time. Online work can make it easier to schedule short check-ins, to meet from a quieter place, or to avoid camera use if that helps someone engage. Confirm the specific session formats offered before booking so you can pick the option that fits your routine.