About Dave Decker

David Decker, M.A., is a licensed psychologist who is currently in private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota, where he provides anger management, domestic abuse, and general mental health services in individuals and couples.  His areas of expertise include anger regulation, men’s issues, depression, anxiety, stress management, shame and family-of-origin issues, domestic abuse, assertiveness, communication and couples issues, healthy relationships, and EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing).

Prior to his current practice, he worked for six years in a group private practice and for ten years at an out-patient community mental health center in the Twin Cities area.  During his time in these positions, he served as director of these clinics’ domestic abuse programs and facilitated weekly batterers’ groups as well as providing follow-up individual, couple, family, and group therapy.  It was during this time that he developed and authored the men’s domestic violence treatment model described in Stopping The Violence: A Group Model To Change Men’s Abusive Attitudes and Behaviors, and Behaviors and Stopping The Violence: The Client Workbook, which were published by Haworth Press (New York) in 1999.  He led domestic abuse groups for thirty years using this long-term (45-60 session) comprehensive and intensive treatment model. In addition, since the late 1980’s until 2018, he has taught five-session anger management classes for adult men and women several times a year throughout the Twin Cities area. In all, he has worked with the issues of domestic abuse and anger management since 1984 and hosts a website called www.ANGEResources.com with a colleague, Michael Obsatz, PhD.

In addition to what is listed above, Dave has held a variety of positions since 1970, including serving as director of a residential adolescent chemical dependency program and director of a residential facility for adults with serious and persistent mental illness. He has also provided out-patient counseling for clients through both university and community-based settings.

Dave has also developed and written an anger management workbook and program entitled Embracing The Dark Side: Learning To Recognize and Transform the Anger Within and Around You, based on excerpts and revisions from Stopping The Violence and original materials developed by Dave prior to and since that time. This workbook is used with both men and women in anger management classes of varying sizes and lengths, in individual and couple therapy, and in self-study. In addition, he has authored a workbook entitled Men Helping Men With Anger for a 12-session class offered by the Twin Cities Men’s Center in Minneapolis since 1995; he developed a manual to accompany a video production entitled Holding Patterns: One Look At Violence In The Home developed by Perspectives Family Center in St. Louis Park, MN; and he has written numerous articles on personal growth topics that have appeared in a variety of newsletters, publications, and on his website.

Besides his clinical work, Dave has designed and presented workshops, seminars, and training to community groups and professionals on topics such as domestic abuse, sexual harassment, stress management, anger regulation, healthy couple relationships, shame and empowerment issues, and assertiveness, communication, and conflict resolution. He has also provided organizational consultation to non-profit and for-profit businesses focusing on developing and maintaining positive organizational dynamics, problem-solving, conflict resolution, team-building, and supervision issues and has served as a consultant to organizations and individuals who are in the process of developing their own anger management and domestic abuse programs. Finally, he has frequently been interviewed by local and other media (TV, radio, internet) on issues related to anger, road rage, and domestic violence

Dave lives with his partner, Jane Carlstrom, and their dogs, Magnolia and Tiger Lily, in St. Paul.

David is available for couseling, phone consultations, seminars, and workshops. Contact Dave.

Read more about Dave's philosophy of working with clients and his clinical specialties and competencies.