One of the biggest struggles of David Woodard’s life was when he lost his partner to AIDS in 1994. David was young, gay, grieving, and alone. But eventually, he found his way into therapy. And while therapy didn’t make the past disappear, it gave David a space to talk freely, to share his feelings, and to heal.
The effect therapy had on David’s life was so profound that it led him to become a psychotherapist himself.
“Ever since my partner died, I’ve been wondering what’s the best way to serve my community,” he says. “When I learned about Vivent Health, that was me coming full circle. I knew it was my calling to help people who are struggling with the psychological aspects of HIV.”
David approaches each patient as though they are unique—because they are.
“I believe in speaking your heart,” he says. “I think people living with HIV can be kind of a forgotten group, but everybody is an individual. Everybody has a voice, everybody has an authenticity and a genuineness just waiting to come out.”
Some of the things David regularly helps people with are anxiety and depression, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and relationship struggles, but he’s also worked with people with diagnoses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, and more.
Above all, David just wants his patients to know they’re not alone. That all of us struggle sometimes, and that reaching out for help is an incredible sign of strength and resilience. And he wants his patients to know they are valuable, important, and loved.
“I want my patients to feel welcomed,” he says. “I want them not to feel judged. I want them to feel like they have a voice. And I want them to feel like they can advocate for themselves.”
David earned his bachelor’s in Social Work from Pittsburgh State University in 2019.