Health-Psychologist | therapist | Author | Trainer & Educator

Welcome!

Connect with me:

david@drdavidalter.com

My Approach

My background and experience have taught me how mind and body interact to have a positive impact on your health. 

My study of the brain and its connections to our daily activities has taught me how to put the brain’s amazing capacity to “re-wire” itself to work for you so your brain supports your most important and cherished life goals.

My three decades of active practice have immersed me in how to help you transform struggle into courage, fear into opportunity, and doubt into open-minded curiosity about the possibilities that lie ahead on your journey to vibrant living and vital aging.

I am Dr. David Alter, a clinical health psychologist. I conduct my practice in Minnetonka, MN. For more than 30 years, I have been working with adults and couples who are facing challenges like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic struggles, and the loss of emotional and sexual intimacy/sexual functioning, as well as physical challenges like digestive difficulties (Irritable Bowel) or causes of on-going pain (migraine/headache). Does that sound familiar to you?

I suspect these concerns may be familiar because, at one time or another, almost everyone encounters these challenges, which can seemingly develop out of nowhere and dramatically disrupt people’s daily lives. When these types of emotional and physical challenges show up, life can suddenly feel turned upside down. What was easy becomes overwhelming. What was familiar seems strange and unfamiliar. What we faced with confidence and comfort becomes distressing and confusing. In short, we can feel we’ve lost our way. 

That’s where I come in. My focus continues to be helping clients regain their footing, rediscover a meaningful path forward, and relearn to express their confidence and joy at engaging in their lives more fully, whether as an individual or as a couple. 

I am trained in clinical hypnosis and incorporate it into my work to access its powerful capacity to help clients to reach their therapy goals more easily and effectively. I lead workshops and retreats for health professionals and general audiences. I am available as a speaker and am also an active trainer of health professionals nationally.

Beginning 2024

My CLINICAL FOCUS

I continue my decades of meaningful work with individual adults and couples. My neuroscience background, coupled with my training in how to impact the intersection of mind, brain, body, and social connection, informs the work I do with adults and couples who present with a very wide range of presenting concerns and struggles. This is a unique and highly effective, integrative approach to helping you to achieve the change you seek to make. I am accepting new clients, and look forward to working together.

THERAPY OF LIFE PODCAST: Life lessons learned

During my 35 years of practice, I’ve learned quite a bit through active and ongoing study and especially from my many clients. One central conclusion I’ve reached is that human beings have encountered the same types of difficulties, challenges, and wounds for thousands of years. While the particulars of our modern dilemmas are unique, the underlying patterns are variations on ageless and age-old themes.

My new Therapy of Life podcast discusses the many challenges and problems that plague people, how to identify the recurring patterns that maintain them, and what steps people can take to generate more rewarding paths to living more satisfying, fulfilling, and joyful lives.

Listen in at: Therapy of Life - Enhancing your body-mind health | RSS.com

Fees for services are $195/hour for individuals and $220/hour for work with couples. I accept payment through check, credit card, or HSA account. My office will submit claims to your insurance. Any coverage reimbursement will be paid directly to you.

NEW HOURS: Beginning January 1, 2024, my work hours will change. I will be in my office, available for both in-person or Zoom-based sessions Tuesday-Thursday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM and Mondays from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Clients often have needs that arise outside of scheduled sessions. Connecting with you outside of scheduled appointments can involve phone conversations, email exchanges, or my doing research on resources you or some member of your family may need. I want to continue to make this service available to my clients. I charge for the time I invest in offering this service beyond 5-10 minutes of my time at a prorated portion of my hourly rate. Thank you for your understanding.

My Services Menu

work with couples (www.partnersatcrossroads.com)

Whether you are seeking to repair and restore your relationship’s health or you need assistance in navigating and negotiating the relationship’s conclusion, I am here to help to get there. Drawing on my neuroscience based experience with the roots of our need for social connection and solid attachment, my couples work creates safe, effective, practical, and rewarding steps to reach your relationship goals.

Visit www.partnersatcrossroads.com for more in-depth information about couples therapy.

Clinical hypnosis - consultation & treatment

I have studied and offered clinical hypnosis for 25 years. I teach hypnosis skills to health professionals around the country. For professionals wanting to expand their proficiency with clinical hypnosis, I offer individual and group consultation services. I am happy to talk by phone with prospective clients wanting to learn how clinical hypnosis may be useful for them,

Contact me to set up a time to talk about clinical hypnosis.

Help for digestive distress

I have developed a free online course that offers 20 hours of guided assistance for sufferers of digestive distress and for people with irritable bowel syndrome specifically. Stay tuned for more in the coming months!

A natural approach to healing mind and body (www.natures-medicine.com)

I have spent the past several years developing resources that I have found are useful to the therapy experience and that further enhance personal healing and growth. Those resources, which include articles, blogs, practice techniques, self-guided health and wellness courses, and videos are available to you at www.natures-medicine.com.

When you are ready, I’ll be here.

Take care…