David Saldaña

Hi!I’m David Saldaña, I have 27 years of dedicated experience in the mental health field. My career spans wilderness therapy and residential boarding school programs across the American West and Canada. Throughout my journey—serving as field staff, residential director, program director, and therapist—I have built a rich repertoire of clinical tools. A true highlight of my career was creating and directing a four-year, year-round outdoor program in southern British Columbia. There, I guided youth from Vancouver and the Okanagan Valley through transformative wilderness activities focused on team building, leadership, and emotional healing, while training staff in essential wilderness survival and mentorship skills.

Originally from Southern California and raised in a vibrant family of nine children, I developed an early love for surfing, skateboarding, live music, and the outdoors. As a second-generation Mexican American, my roots and personal experiences as a husband of 25 years and father to five children—ranging from 9 to 31 years old, including my oldest who is adopted—deeply inform my empathetic, family-centered approach to therapeutic care. In 1999, I relocated to Southern Utah to begin my work in wilderness therapy, later earning my Master’s degree from the Boston University School of Social Work.

In my clinical practice, I specialize in supporting adolescents and adults navigating complex trauma, attachment disorders, personality disorders, depression, anxiety, low self-image, gender identity struggles, substance-related disorders, and neurodiversity. Outside of the office, I stay grounded by spending quality time with my family, practicing Gracie Jiu-Jitsu (Blue Belt), leather crafting, wood and stone carving, and immersing myself in nature through desert hiking, camping, hunting, fishing, and practicing wilderness living skills.

My therapeutic approach is integrative, relational, and grounded in over two decades of clinical experience in wilderness and residential settings. Drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) modalities, I help clients identify and reshape negative thought patterns to build practical coping strategies, improve emotional regulation, and foster resilience. By meeting adolescents and adults where they are, I tailor my work to address complex trauma, attachment disorders, anxiety, depression, substance use, gender identity struggles, and neurodiversity. Guided by a strong commitment to family dynamics, I focus on creating a supportive, trustworthy space that empowers individuals and strengthens their connections with loved ones.

In your initial session, clients can expect a compassionate, structured, and collaborative space focused on understanding their unique story and goals. We start by establishing trust and rapport to create a comfortable environment where you can speak openly without judgment. Together, we will explore the specific issues bringing you to therapy—whether that involves trauma, anxiety, depression, substance use, attachment issues, or neurodiversity—and discuss how these challenges impact daily life and relationships.