About Dave
My story.
The path into this work wasn't a straight line. But every part of it brought me here for a reason.
Dave Edwards
RP (Qualifying)
photo by Sarah Bodri
My story
How I got here.
My path into psychotherapy wasn't a single moment. It was a gradual realization shaped by my own life experiences.
I spent 18 years working in corporate banking at TD, including five years as a financial advisor, followed by roles in operations and risk management. During that time, I learned a great deal about responsibility, performance, and the pressures many people carry quietly in their lives.
Alongside my career, I experienced significant personal change. Through my own recovery, my experience in therapy, and my involvement in peer support communities, I was exposed to ideas and people that fundamentally changed how I understood hope, resilience, and the possibility of change.
Those experiences showed me how powerful honest conversation, practical tools, and supportive community can be when someone is trying to rebuild their life.
After leaving corporate work during the pandemic and later helping build and run a startup logistics company, I found myself reflecting on what felt most meaningful. When that business was sold, I realized the work that had stayed with me most over the years was supporting people through difficult life transitions.
Pursuing a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology felt like the natural next step. I wanted the training and professional foundation to do this work responsibly and effectively.
What I Bring to the Room
More than a textbook understanding
Having experienced a major life change myself, I understand how frightening it can feel when something in your life needs to shift but you don't yet know how. It can be difficult to imagine a different future, or a version of yourself that doesn't include some of the struggles that have been part of your life for so long.
I understand addiction from both sides. From my own recovery, and from growing up in a family where substance use was present. That gives me a perspective that goes deeper than clinical training alone.
I also understand the world many of my clients live in. Eighteen years in banking taught me about pressure, performance culture, and the quiet disconnect many professionals carry. I get what it's like to hold it together at work while privately unraveling.
And as a parent of three adult children, I bring the experience of navigating family life, relationships, loss, and change into the way I work with clients.
My Approach
Dave Edwards
photo by Sarah Bodri
Making sense of what
matters to you.
My approach to therapy is collaborative. I don't see myself as someone who tells you what to do or sets goals for you.
Instead, we start by figuring out what actually matters to you. Not just what you want to have in life, but the kind of person you want to be and the kind of life you want to live.
From there, we look at what's helping you move in that direction and what might be getting in the way. Sometimes that includes habits, patterns of thinking, or situations that make it hard to live the way you'd like.
I sometimes describe it like being a navigator in a car. You choose the destination. My job is to help you find the route, notice when something isn't working, and keep moving in the direction that matters to you.
I primarily work from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) approach, which focuses on building psychological flexibility so you can act in ways that align with your values, even when things feel difficult. I also draw on Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, and person-centred principles depending on what fits.
Dave Edwards
photo by Sarah Bodri
Training & credentials.
My commitment to ongoing learning and professional growth is central to how I show up for you.
Specialized Training
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
PSYCHWIRE (DR. RUSS HARRIS)
Evidence-based framework for building psychological flexibility, helping clients act in ways aligned with their values, even when things feel difficult.
Complex Trauma Treatment
PESI CANADA (DR. JANINA FISHER)
Approaches to complex trauma, parts work, and somatic techniques, integrating neurobiological research into practical therapeutic modalities.
Certified Trauma Professional (CTP)
EVERGREEN CERTIFICATIONS
Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST)
Certified SMART Recovery Facilitator
Education
MA Counselling Psychology (MACP)
Yorkville University (2026)
BA Administrative and Commercial Studies
University of Western Ontario (2000)
Take the first step
Curious whether we'd be a good fit?
Book a free 20-minute video call. No pressure. Just a conversation.