Today we’d like to introduce you to Whit Davison.
Hi Whit, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Whit Davison, and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker providing specialized treatment to clients with severe anxiety, complex trauma, and dissociation. I offer therapy online as well as out of my office off of I-435 and Holmes Road in Kansas City.
I did not grow up thinking, “Wow, I want to be a social worker!” Instead, I grew into the career over time. I actually have a Master’s in Library Science and worked in medical and public libraries for over a decade before starting my first small business and then spending another 10 years in retail management. At age 42, I started my Master’s in Social Work and have now been in the field for seven years.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I would not say the road has been rough, but it has been long and winding. Being a mental health therapist is my third career, and each time I made a switch–even if I knew it was for the best–I had to give up the safety and security I had built to that point. The business I opened after leaving what was supposed to be my life-long career in libraries only lasted about 18 months, and then my first job after that was in retail, doing doll hair at the former American Girl store in Oak Park Mall.
It’s hard to see the change from a solid management position in libraries to a super-basic retail job as anything other than a setback. But, the doll hair salon and sales at American Girl were actually a *lot* of fun and functioned as a gateway into a great retail career. My next step in retail was to start looking at store manager positions, but instead, I realized I missed the helping aspect of my library career. I went back to school and started over again in social work. It took a little time, but now I am successfully running the business aspects of my practice and loving the work that I do.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I became a mental health therapist, I always intended to work with clients with challenging diagnoses, including borderline personality disorder, severe anxiety, and anger management. I soon realized that understanding dissociation plays an important part in working with these clients as well as with people diagnosed with “traditional” dissociation. Most of what folks know about dissociation is focused on what used to be known as Multiple Personality Disorder, with movies like _The Three Faces of Eve_ from the 1950’s and _Split_ from the 2017 showing dissociation as dangerous and people who experience it as truly “crazy.”
However, nothing could be further from the truth. People with severe anxiety and anger problems often have some dissociation happening as well. Anyone who grew up with family dysfunction and complex trauma probably dissociates to some degree. Clients come to me with multiple diagnoses, from bipolar disorder, to borderline personality disorder, or even being told they are schizophrenic, when in fact, dissociation is the underlying issue. The average person with a dissociative disorder waits over six years to get a correct diagnosis!
Because of the lack of awareness among the public and the lack of education among mental health providers, I have started offering online classes, groups, and assessments for the public, as well as continuing education opportunities and consultation for providers. I am passionate about normalizing these disorders in order to increase awareness and access to competent care.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Anyone interested in individual therapy with me can learn more by visiting my web site at https://whitdavison.com. I offer free 15-minute consultations to answer any questions folks have about working with me.
All of my online classes, both for the public and for professionals, can be found at https://quirkymindseducation.com. I offer at least one workshop a month on topics like building emotional resilience, coping skills, managing finances, and understanding dissociative disorders.
I have a email newsletter with signup forms on both web sites.
Pricing:
- Live workshops: Usually free
- Recorded workshops: $9 – $19
- Assessments: $300
- Regular therapy sessions: $200
- Groups: Varies
Contact Info:
- Website: https://whitdavison.com
- Other: https://quirkymindseducation.com
