WHIT DAVISON, LCSW
What's going on in there, anyway?
Meet Whit Davison, LCSW
If you're like most of my clients, you would describe your inner world as one or more of the following:
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Your mind never shuts off, and most attempts to find some peace fail. You may regularly turn to not-so-healthy coping mechanisms just to get a break.
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You've tried to do things "right" your entire life, and yet are somehow always getting it "wrong." Even when you try to change the pattern, you end up back in the same place.
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You feel like things aren't really that bad and you shouldn't feel this way. But, you do.
My Approach to Therapy
I take a "goal-focused but flexible" approach to helping. In our first few sessions, we will establish your goals for therapy, and I keep those goals as our focus throughout treatment. However, our work each week is flexible and based on both present issues and your long-term goals. We might start out talking about the pizza you had for dinner, but might end up talking about your childhood, your ex, your body image, your finances...the paths are endless, but all lead to the same goal.
This approach is especially important if you have an anxiety disorder, complex trauma or CPTSD, dissociation and dissociative disorders, personality disorders, or anger management issues. I balance immediate needs with long-term progress so that we are moving forward instead of stumbling from crisis to crisis.
I use concepts from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), solution-focused therapy, and psychodynamic therapy interchangeably and as appropriate.
Most importantly, I like to add humor to my work. If you're coming to therapy, it is because things are hard. But that doesn't mean we can't also laugh at ourselves and fate.
How is therapy with me different?
I pride myself on making my clients feel seen, heard, and understood. I believe that you are the expert in you, and I take a personalized approach to therapy. There is no one-size-fits-all in my office. My goal is to highlight the way to those “a-ha” moments when you need them most.
I specialize in anxiety disorders, trauma and complex trauma, and dissociative disorders. It's my passion, and it's all I do. All of my training, all of the research and reading that I do, and all of my continuing education are focused in these areas. It's the difference between, well, getting a pie at the grocery store and getting a pie from a pie bakery.
Finally, I thrive on doing deep work and I want to see clients experience life-altering change. I do not exclude clients based on personal history, past diagnoses, history of suicidality, or history of self-harm. If you want to do the work, I want to work with you.
I'm the right therapist for you if you are:
Ready for change
You want to get to the root of the problem and see permanent improvement
Seeking understanding
You want to understand how your mind works and why it's sometimes such a jerk
Prepared to dive in
The work of therapy is not always easy, but I'll be with you every step of the way
I may NOT be the right therapist for you if you are:
Wanting affirmation without change
You are wanting only support from your therapist and less emphasis on growth
Wanting to focus on coping skills
Coping skills are key to my work but are not the main focus of my approach
Wanting to stay on the surface of issues
You are wanting to focus on solving immediate problems without looking at overall patterns of behavior
Career and Clinical Experience
TLDR: I did other stuff before becoming a therapist, but it all sort of led to my current work.
Being a therapist is actually my third career. My first career was as a librarian, and I hold a Master's in Library Science from Emporia State University.
I started my own therapy when I worked in libraries, and I learned that there is a difference between being anxious and having anxiety, as well as why being angry isn't always about being mad.
When I left libraries, I opened a bakery. I sold pies and cinnamon rolls. I went through all my savings in 18 months and had to go back to working for the man. The experience was totally worth it.
At this point, I thought about becoming a therapist, but I knew I wasn't personally ready. I worked in retail management for about five years until I felt I was prepared to take the next step. Retail can be brutal, but it can also be a lot of fun.
Finally, I felt that I was ready to become a therapist. I knew I wanted to work with anxiety and trauma, so I chose a Master's in Social Work from a trauma-focused online program at Widener University in Chester, Pennsylvania. I completed my clinical internship and first year of practice in Prairie Village, KS, then moved to Rejuvenate in Lee's Summit, MO. I was with those wonderful humans for three years before opening my own practice in October 2023.
I feel like I've come full circle: I am immersed in stories, like I was when I was a librarian; I get to meet and learn about all kinds of people, like I did when I was in retail; and I get to have my own business, like I did when I had the bakery. All while I am working with clients on some of their deepest wounds and scariest thoughts.
It is an honor and a privilege to be able to do what I do.
What's with the owls?
Owls are often used to symbolize Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom, war, and practical reason, and they remind me of my personal values of curiosity and learning, the pursuit of what's right, and the importance of solving practical problems. Owls can also see in the dark, which I think is a pretty spot-on metaphor for therapy work.