Ashley Davidson, MSW, RSW
(She/her/hers)
Preferred Name: Ashley
About Me
My name is Ashley Davidson. I am a social worker and EMDR therapist who offers in-person, online and telephone therapy in the province of Ontario. I work primarily with young and middle-aged adults from a variety of different mental health and cultural backgrounds; however, have numerous years experience supporting adolescents as young as 12 years old. For me, what is considered "traumatic" depends on the individual and their experiences: no one person responds to the same situation identically, and each person's reaction deserves acknowledgement. My practice focuses on supporting folks who have experienced interpersonal forms of trauma, that is harm that is endured in social relationships. This includes attachment and developmental trauma (i.e. in childhood, upbringing by primary caregivers, prominent adults in one's life), bullying, relationship breakdowns, intimate partner violence, as well as sexual abuse/sexual trauma. In addition to interpersonal trauma, I support folks with grief and loss, pet loss, and other life-altering experiences and transitions. I use EMDR in my practice in combination with other modalities to build rapport, strengthen and enhance folks' locus of control and self-competence, as well as develop additional strategies to regulate emotional responses. Other modalities I incorporate are CBT, DBT, mindfulness, principles of ACT and IFS parts work.
Education & Experience
Honour's Bachelor Degree from York University, Glendon College: Sociology Major, Psychology Minor; Diploma from Humber College: Community and Justice Services; I received my Master's of Social Work from the University of Toronto in June 2017. It was there that I began my clinical training - both in the classroom, in addition to two practicums. Kids Help Phone (2016) - Crisis counselling; Counseline (2016-17) - Undergraduate Counselling at University of Toronto; Morneau Shepell (2017-18) - EAP, crisis counselling East Metro Youth Services (2018-2021) - Individual and Family Therapy. In early 2021, I made the jump from community-based therapy to private practice. I have continued to practice using CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based therapies, but am hoping to specialize in EMDR and trauma-focused therapy. In addition to EMDR, I have begun training in Internal Family Systems Therapy.
Professional & Volunteer Affiliations
Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW); Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW); EMDR International Association (EMDRIA); EMDR Canada
Specialty Area
- Anxiety/Panic Attacks
- Birth Trauma/Pregnancy Loss
- Depression
- Grief/Loss/Mourning
- Marriage/Relationship Issues
- Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Self-Harm
- Sexual Abuse
- Stress Management
- Suicide Risk
- Survivor's Guilt
- Traumatic Incident
Population Served
- Adolescents (13-17)
- Adults
- Immigrants
- LGBTQ+
- Seniors
Language
- English