Derek Cassidy
MSW, RSW
(he/him/they/them)
Registered Social Worker
AREAS OF FOCUS
- Gender, Sexual, and Relationship Diversity
- Substance use, including PnP
- HIV and Sexual Health
I am a registered social worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and a member of the Canadian Association of Social Workers. I graduated with a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Social Work from Carleton University.
“Take note of what is uncomfortable; that is where we grow.”
I am white, genderqueer settler who has been working with 2SLGBTQIA communities since 2013 in community health and mental health settings. I believe that tuning into our stories and emotions can provide us with insight that nurtures growth and healing. I offer a supportive and collaborative space to be heard, work through difficult emotions, and explore new possibilities and perspectives. I also help connect individual experiences with mental health and wellness to larger systems and structures like heteronormativity, cisnormativity, settler-colonialism, patriarchy, capitalism, etc. I approach this work with curiosity, thoughtfulness, and compassion.
I have experience working with people who may be looking to gain a deeper understanding of their gender or sexual identity, their relationships, or their substance use (including PnP). I also support people who may be struggling with stress, depression, and anxiety. I draw upon several therapeutic modalities depending on each person’s needs, focus, and goals for therapy including narrative, emotion-focused therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, and solution-focused approaches. My work is trauma-informed and rooted in harm reduction principles, and anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks.