Therapy for adults, teens and children.

Affirmations Psychological Services was co-founded by Howard Fradkin, Ph.D. in 1984, joined by Don Laufersweiler, LPCC in 1996. Howard and Don sold the practice to its second owner, Dwight Tolliver, Ph.D. in 2013. Affirmations then became a part of the Optum Behavioral Care team in 2024. From the start, the mission of Affirmations was to provide acceptance and understanding to differences and diversity. This includes human beings with diverse cultural, ethnic, and spiritual backgrounds along with people who are considered different by society’s conventional standards.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Affirmations was on the front lines of the AIDS crisis and instrumental in the formations of the Columbus AIDS Task Force Support Services Committee and Ohio AIDS Coalition. Affirmations has been a leader in the LQBTQ+ community (e.g., board of Stonewall, donated a room to Stonewall in 2016, annual PRIDE march participants). Additionally, Affirmations was the first gay/lesbian-owned private practice in Columbus and quickly became known as a safe place for the LGBTQ+ community to find affirming, non-judgmental care.

As Affirmations grew, our reach expanded. Specifically, Affirmations became well-known and respected in 12-step recovery communities as a safe place for clients with a substance use disorder. A primary specialization of the practice has been compassionate and competent care for individuals with trauma backgrounds. Today, Affirmations is rooted in providing affirming and inclusive treatment to youth, adults, couples, and families from diverse backgrounds.