Dr. Jason Whitehead, MDiv, LCSW, PhD
Dr. Jason Whitehead, MDiv, LCSW, PhD
I help men navigate the transitions in their lives, whether that means finding ways to let go of something painful or developing a plan to reach for what comes next.
How I Work
I’m a firm believer in a few things: relationships matter, words create worlds, and experimentation builds habits and skills.
What you can expect when we meet is someone who is interested in and curious about your story. For as long as I’ve been a therapist, I’ve been drawn to what it means for men to live healthy mental and emotional lives.
As your therapist, I want to know where and how a story you tell causes pain or disrupts your life. I also want to know when it recedes and when it burns bright. When we’re in pain we often can’t operate to our fullest capacities, and we lose sight of empathy and relationships. For me, therapy revolves around understanding, grappling, questioning, and relieving the pain points to see what is left. And more so, what we do next. Yes, you can expect a great deal of empathy embedded in the curiosity, but it’s empathy with a goal in mind. It’s not just about pain relief, it’s about how we learn to carry and manage our pain in ways that help us become the people we believe we can be.
As your coach, I’m going to assume you have most of your pain points under control. And, instead, we’re going to focus in on who you want to become. Coaching is different than therapy. It’s a way of developing a path in conversation together to reach the goals you set for yourself. My work as a coach is to ignite your creativity, support the journey you’re looking to take, and keep you accountable to the goals you set.
What you can expect in both places is a healthy dose of curiosity, an orientation toward experimentation (which is how new habits are built), conversation that teaches and challenges, and support for the person you’re trying to become. I believe in not only supporting the mental and emotional aspects of men’s journeys but also the spiritual and philosophical values and beliefs that make the work you’re doing important.
My Experience
I’ve worked, off and on, as a therapist for the last 20 years. That began in Richmond, Virginia where I completed Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Divinity. After a few years working in church and counseling centers, often working with men, my wife and I moved to Denver to start a doctoral program.
At Iliff School of Theology and University of Denver I completed a Ph.D. in Religion and Psychology. How we make meaning in the world matters to me. Some of us do that through religion and others of us do that with philosophy or ethics. We’re all guided by something or some idea that gives us purpose and those things change throughout our lives (I know mine have).
I have a lot of things I could claim expertise in, but what I enjoy and where I excel in counseling is in helping men find the words for what hurts and then developing a plan that starts a healing process. This means working with men experiencing the pain associated with depression, grief, or loneliness.
I’ve been a coach for almost 3 years now, receiving my Associate Certification with the International Coaching Federation in March of 2022. As a coach, I excel in asking tough questions and getting to the roots of resistance. I’m good at synthesizing vast amounts of data and connecting people to resources and the experiments that guide their growth.
Who I Am
I’m a dad, a spouse, a brother, and a son. I’ve lived in the southeast, mid-Atlantic, and now the west for the last 17 years. My kids are 15 and 11, and my wife and I have been married for almost 25 years.
I read science-fiction, enjoy watching superhero movies, and play video games. I regularly play pickleball well, and sparingly play golf badly. We hike as a family and enjoy traveling together. I’m a woodworker who builds outdoor furniture with a neighbor and business partner.
In my spare time, I cook, clean, avoid the vacuum, and do what I can to make sure my family feels supported, loved, and as though they can reach and realize the goals they set for themselves.
