David Contos, LCSW - Mental Health Counseling

David Contos is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) at Orlando Health Medical Group Behavioral Health. As a psychotherapist and counselor, he provides outpatient mental health care, and his expertise includes:

• Conducting biopsychosocial and other clinical assessments
• Individual and couples counseling and therapy
• Mood disorders, including generalized anxiety, depression and panic disorders
• Single episode, complex and developmental traumas
• Grief and loss
• Life transitions
• Geriatric care
• LGBT+ care
• Polyamory and ethical non-monogamous relationships
• Faith-informed counseling, including religious trauma

David’s interest in mental health began while he was an assistant public defender assisting clients with significant psychosocial challenges. He realized his true passion was in helping identify barriers and work toward meaningful change, so he switched careers to mental health, focusing on clinical social work.

David believes in establishing a compassionate rapport with patients and communicating clearly with them about managing their mental health and wellness. He works with patients to develop and implement patient-driven treatment goals and objectives.

David’s Training

David studied at Florida State University in Tallahassee, where he received his bachelor’s degree in biological science, graduated with a Juris Doctorate with honors from law school and earned his master’s degree in social work with clinical emphasis. His post-graduate training was geared toward complex trauma, grief and loss from LGBT affirmance.

About David

David worked as an attorney for more than a decade in courtrooms, prisons, private law firms, government agencies, a prestigious externship with the Florida Supreme Court serving under Justice Major B. Harding, and two terms as an assistant public defender. In that role, he worked with psychologists, psychiatrists and social workers to provide robust legal representation, strengths-based assessment, service linkage, competency determinations and forensic mitigation to a diverse clientele.

David has worked in education as a law school tutor, research and graduate assistant, substitute teacher and classroom paraprofessional. His transition to the mental health field includes valuable experience working with clients of several large substance abuse treatment systems, an internship with the Bay Pines VA, and several large hospital systems, providing individual, group and family counseling and therapy. He is pleased to bring his experience and expertise to patients in Central Florida.