Hi, I'm Wade
Psychotherapist. Educator. Zen practitioner. Fellow imperfect human.
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I've spent much of my life learning what it means to be human—and perhaps more importantly, learning to be okay with the human being I am.
I'm a licensed clinical social worker, depth psychologist, and longtime practitioner of Zen Buddhism. But those titles only tell part of my story.
Before becoming a therapist, I worked as an international club DJ. It was an exciting life, filled with music, travel, and connection. But underneath the excitement was a familiar struggle: looking outside myself for validation, trying to be someone I thought I needed to be, and using substances to navigate feelings I didn't yet know how to face.
Growing up in a conservative town, I also struggled with my identity and what it meant to be a gay man in a world that didn't always make room for who I was. Like many people, I learned early on that certain parts of myself were easier to hide than to embrace.
Finding my way into therapy helped me question the stories I had believed about myself, begin to understand shame, and discover a different kind of acceptance. It wasn't about creating a new Wade. It was about learning to live more honestly and compassionately with the one already here.
That experience helped lead me toward a new career in psychotherapy. I share this history because I don't believe therapists stand outside the messiness of being human. Training matters, and so does knowing what it is like to sit on the other side of the therapeutic relationship.
Today, I bring that perspective to my work: healing doesn't always mean dramatic transformation. Sometimes it begins when we stop fighting ourselves.
MINDFULNESS · ZEN · SELF-COMPASSION
The Practice of Being Human
Somewhere along the way, I began to understand that being human isn't a problem to solve. It's an experience to meet, with all its uncertainty, contradictions, beauty, and difficulty.
My journey into contemplative practice began when I discovered Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) while working with Veterans. That exploration eventually led me to Zen Buddhism, where I found a practice that continues to shape how I understand myself and the world.
Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) deepened that journey, teaching me the importance of meeting our struggles with kindness rather than judgment.
These practices inform both my work and my everyday life. They remind me that being human isn't about getting everything right, but learning to meet ourselves, again and again, just as we are.
COMPASSION CURIOSITY CONNECTION
What Guides My Work
Meaningful healing begins when we feel safe enough to be ourselves, including the parts we've learned to hide, judge, or change.
Compassion
Meeting ourselves and others with kindness rather than judgment.
Curiosity
Exploring our experiences and patterns with openness and understanding.
Connection
Creating authentic relationships where we can be seen and understood.
“Therapy is not about change. It's about acceptance. That in itself is change.”
TEACHING · PRACTICE · COMMUNITY
Beyond the Therapy Room
My work has never felt limited to what happens in a therapy session. I'm equally drawn to the ways we learn,
practice, and grow together in community.
Whether I'm teaching Mindful Self-Compassion, facilitating conversations about identity and belonging, or sharing the practice of Zen Buddhism, I keep returning to the same question: How can we meet ourselves
and one another with greater compassion?
These offerings are different expressions of something I deeply value: creating spaces where people can show up as they are, connect with others, and explore what it means to be human.
EDUCATION · EXPERIENCE · TRAINING
Professional Background & Credentials
Bringing together clinical experience, depth psychology, trauma treatment, and contemplative practice.
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Depth Psychology
Pacifica Graduate Institute
Master of Social Work (MSW)
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Advanced Clinical Training & Certifications
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EMDR Certified Therapist
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Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)
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Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC) Trained Teacher
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Certified Master Addiction Counselor
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Internal Family Systems (IFS) training
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
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Motivational Interviewing and Motivational Enhancement Therapy
Professional Licensure
I maintain clinical social work licenses (LCSW) in multiple states, allowing me to provide psychotherapy to eligible clients located in those jurisdictions.
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Washington — LICSW #SWI.LW.70109147
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Texas — LCSW-S #65572
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California — LCSW #122047
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Nevada — LCSW #6348-C
Teaching, Supervision & Leadership
My professional experience also includes clinical supervision, graduate social work education, mental health program leadership, and teaching mindfulness and self-compassion.
I believe that being a clinician also means remaining a student—continuing to learn, question, and grow alongside the people and communities I serve.