Biography
Dr. Kaptain has been with Family Legacy Counseling since 1999, providing general and addiction-related individual, marital and family therapy for both adolescents and adults. He is a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor in the State of Iowa and is also licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist. His education, credentials, and extensive experience uniquely equip him to help with addictions in individuals as well within marriage and family situations.
David has a Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies from Iowa State University. His over 25 years of experience in the mental health and addiction fields includes work as a psychiatric technician, group home house manager, child and adolescent senior therapist, and Employee Assistance Program supervisor. David also served more than six years as manager of the UnityPoint Health Powell Chemical Dependency Center, the largest and longest running hospital-based addictions treatment center in Iowa.
David has provided community service and leadership in certifying and licensing addiction and mental health professionals as a long-time board member and recent President of the Iowa Board of Certification, and as an appointment by the Governor’s office to the Board of Behavioral Science in Iowa.
David’s personal interests include working on projects outdoors, hiking, fly fishing, biking and running. He is often busy enjoying family and church activities. David has been married for over 25 years and has three children.
David’s areas of professional interest include
- Marriage and family therapy for addiction issues – helping the recovering person and family members understand addiction and rebuild relationships
- Relapse prevention in addictions – how to sustain successful recovery
- Anxiety and depression coping skills for pre-teens through adults
- Narrative therapy – seeing problems as separate from who we are helps us oppose them
- Solution-focused, motivational enhancement and cognitive behavioral therapy as evidence based practice – using proven methods of therapy to get results
- Promoting the therapeutic alliance in counseling sessions – when people connect with their therapist, change happens faster
- Integrating faith with the process of personal and family change
Therapist’s Statement
In January of 2015 I made the transition from direct service and management in a large healthcare system to full-time private practice at Family Legacy Counseling. My years of experience in the hospital providing individual and family therapy to people aged pre-teen through adults has been invaluable in forming my approach to counseling today. These experiences, as well as my work at Family Legacy, have led me to believe that most people can discover reasons to change and learn ways to cope with life’s challenges – even if they don’t think it is possible. Everyone has strengths and abilities that they have used to deal with problems. The counseling and therapy process enables people to focus these skills and discover new ones, too. Today it is a blessing and a privilege to be a part of those changes as individuals and families face difficulties head-on to become the people they are meant to be.
