Under the Aegis: From Social Work to Trauma Therapy – How Davina Reidy’s Training Shapes Her GAL Practice
TIGALA Guardian ad Litem Davina Reidy shares how her background in social work, play therapy, and a trauma-informed lens shapes her child-centred, individualised approach to advocacy in court.
Every Guardian ad Litem brings a unique blend of experiences to the role – and for Davina Reidy, that journey has been grounded in one key principle: communication with children must go beyond words.
After completing her degree in Social Science and a two-year Master’s in Social Work at UCC, Davina started her career on a Children in Care team in Dublin. It was there she noticed something missing.
I realised pretty quickly that I didn’t fully understand the language of children and how to communicate with children separate to talking to them.
This insight led her to train as a play therapist – a decision that reshaped her approach entirely. Davina went on to deepen her work through additional creative therapies, including training in Ericksonian Story Play Therapy and an advanced Master’s with the Children’s Therapy Centre (CTC).
Alongside her frontline work, Davina further developed trauma therapy skills while working in the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Cork. In addition to training in Ericksonian Story Play Therapy, she also became a specialist in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) for children and adolescents, gaining a more nuanced understanding of how trauma impacts the body, mind, and relationships and how to heal it.
"That just further enhanced my understanding of the impact of children’s experiences on their holistic self – on their entire being," Davina goes on to explain.
Now, Davina’s trauma-informed perspective and her heightened ability to communicate with children in their own language is central to how she assesses, advocates, and makes recommendations in court.
“You have to factor in a lot of different things… What age was the child? Was it an isolated incident? Was it ongoing? Who was the person perpetrating the abuse of the trauma onto the child?”
Her advocacy is deeply child-centred – with each court report tailored to the specific context and needs of the individual child.
At TIGALA, we recognise the value of this depth. Lived experience, advanced training, and a commitment to continuous learning all contribute to the high standards we expect from every Guardian ad Litem on our panel. Davina’s journey is a powerful reminder that advocacy is strengthened by curiosity, compassion, and a deep understanding of trauma’s impact on a child’s development, identity, and voice.
