About David

Dave Atherton was born in Turlock CA., and raised in Zephyr Cove, Nevada. After high school he followed his dream of playing college football.

Before his senior year of college football Dave started a new job, working with 5-12 year old “at risk” youth with a variety of mental health disorders. It was there that Dave discovered his passion for the mental health field.

Off and on, Dave worked with youth, mainly teenagers, in four different mental health residential treatment facilities, middle schools, high schools, and summer sports camps.

From 2017-2021 Dave worked for the state of Nevada with adult inmates who had been arrested, deemed incompetent to face their charges, then evaluated and treated for mental health needs.

Throughout his years in the mental health field he has motivated and inspired countless clients as well as co-workers. Dave knew at an early age that he loved encouraging and inspiring others to navigate and find a way through life’s toughest challenges.

From the age of 19-34 Dave struggled with alcoholism, and from the age of 28-34 he was addicted to pain pills and heroin. At the age of 34 he overdosed and was put in an induced coma, which then led to him attending a six month abstinence based rehab facility.

Dave has been sober since January of 2012.