The heart behind the practice.
Our Story
Dr. David Kaptain, PhD, LMFT, CADC has been working in Des Moines in the mental health field for over 30 years. He has served in many positions within the field, including addictions counselor, in-patient crisis stabilization family therapist, manager of the Powell Chemical Dependency Center, individual and marriage and family therapist, and AAMFT Approved Supervisor candidate. These diverse experiences have given David a unique perspective, and over the course of his career he became increasingly aware of two distinct needs:
1.
There is a continuing need for accessible mental health services in Des Moines, particularly for underserved groups and neighborhoods.
2.
There is also a need to support, develop, and train new therapists in systemic and family therapies, equipping them to be better therapists and to care for people from all walks of life.
The idea to open up his own practice had been in the back of David’s mind for years, but the timing had never been quite right until the fall of 2022, when after lots of prayerful consideration, David and his wife Holly felt called to start looking for a building to invest in. They were adamant that the building be in the city of Des Moines, a deliberate choice aimed at serving the local community. They were also set on moving into a space that needed quite a bit of love, so that they could help contribute to the urban development and infrastructure of Des Moines.
Their quest led them to the warehouse on Franklin and Merle Hay, a historical gem originally constructed in 1949 as a warehouse for the Bell Telephone company. After it was a telephone warehouse, it saw a brief stint as a hardware store before becoming the Video Warehouse, a beloved neighborhood staple that closed its doors in 2021. The building sat vacant for almost two years before David and Holly came across it, and they knew after their first visit that this was exactly what they had been looking for (and then some). Recognizing its potential, they jumped at the opportunity to purchase the property and got to work on the extensive renovations.
After twelve weeks, the first phase of renovations is completed, and CityReach Family Therapy officially opened its doors in November of 2023. There are future plans for a second phase of renovations that will transform the remaining unfinished portion of the warehouse, putting in more offices and equipping spaces that will expand the work CityReach is here to do.
CityReach Family Therapy was born out of a dream to love and serve the city of Des Moines, a vision deeply rooted in compassion and commitment. Our mission is to provide accessible, high-quality faith-informed mental health services to all who call this city home, and to support and equip the people providing those services. We have a deep desire to care for people and help them grow, and we are dedicated to making a positive impact on the well-being of individuals, families, and communities throughout Des Moines.
Our Faith
At CityReach Family Therapy, our faith informs everything we do. We believe that God, out of His love, sent Jesus Christ, His Son, to live with us as a fellow human, offering forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe in Him (John 3:16). Jesus lived a sinless life, brought the good news of God's Kingdom, and ultimately sacrificed Himself on the cross to pay for humanity's brokenness and wrongdoings. Three days later, Jesus was raised from the dead, conquering death. Jesus invites all who believe in Him into a personal relationship with God, restoring them to right relationship with Him. This message, called the Gospel, highlights God's grace, humanity's need for salvation, and the hope of reconciliation and abundant life through faith in Jesus Christ. At CityReach Family Therapy we believe we are fulfilling the Ministry of Reconciliation (II Corinthians 5: 17-21) not only by living and encouraging reconciliation to God, but also by bringing people into right relationships with themselves and with others through the process of individual and family therapy.
If you have questions about the gospel, reach out to us here.