Dr. Martin Davidson, R.Psych.
Dr. Martin Davidson specializes in the treatment of mood and anxiety disorders in children, adolescents, and adults and has experience working with people who self-harm and experience suicidal ideation. Martin has a range of clinical experience in individual, group, and family therapy modalities and has been trained in a variety of therapeutic techniques known to be effective in helping people who are experiencing emotional distress due to depression, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, family conflict, relationship difficulties, specific phobias, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
In addition, Martin works with youth who exhibit behavioral concerns (‘acting out’) and experience social difficulties, such as bullying and isolation. In his work with young people, Martin places an emphasis on working with parents to help them better understand what their child is going through, to find ways for parents to better support their child, and to improve attachment relationships within families.
Martin completed his doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Simon Fraser University with a child clinical specialization. Despite his young age, Martin has been working in the mental health field for over 15 years and has a wide range of experience delivering community-based mental health services. This extensive history has provided him with the opportunity to learn how people prefer to be treated in clinical settings and how to develop therapeutic relationships that are vital for success in therapy. Martin has also worked at the Maples Adolescent Treatment Centre and for Child and Youth Mental Health in Delta, where he provided assessment and treatment services to youth exhibiting severe emotional distress and behavioral challenges, ranging from conduct problems and delinquency to depression and self-harm. Martin’s academic background at Simon Fraser University included a program of research aimed at obtaining adolescent perspectives on mental health services, with a focus on how mental health professionals can develop therapeutic relationships in ways that would resonate with young people and enhance the likelihood of positive outcomes. In addition to his private practice, Martin also teaches undergraduate psychology classes, including Adolescent Development and Developmental Psychopathology, at Simon Fraser University.
In his practice, Martin places paramount importance on building strong, trusting, and collaborative therapeutic relationships with the individuals and families with whom he works, ensuring they feel that he is on their side and acting in their best interests. Based on his understanding of each person’s unique personality, Martin tailors therapy for each individual by integrating therapeutic approaches that are known to be effective and appear to be the best fit for each individual whom he sees. His aim is to have each of his clients benefit from this individualized approach. This helps people feel more comfortable opening up in therapy and, in turn, committing to the building of a therapeutic relationship, which is so important for therapy to work well. Martin not only strives to help people cope with the distress and difficulties they are experiencing, but also aims to help them develop an awareness and understanding of the emotions, thoughts, and motivations that are underlying their struggles. While psychological services must often focus on struggles and deficits, Martin ensures that a positive approach is also taken in therapy, building on the strengths and resilience of each individual.
