Counseling Associates For Wellbeing

My name is Ashley and I am so proud of you for taking the first steps and prioritizing your mental health.

Life transitions can be challenging. From navigating your young adulthood, starting college, and transitioning to independent adulthood, to realizing you’re not where you thought you’d be in life. My experience has been with people who have turned to alcohol, drugs, food, or self-injury to cope with various life events. Others have shut down in the form of depression or paralyzing anxiety. In essence, the ways of handling life’s stressors are no longer effective, and in these moments, we need help. I enjoy working with people who have the desire to learn how to better navigate their transitions.

The University of South Dakota and the University of Georgia trained me in Person-In-Environment (PIE) theory. Giving me a holistic framework to understand how best to serve clients. It is from this view that I use cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques to address a client’s specific issues. For me, the key to a successful working relationship between therapist and client is mutual understanding. You are the expert when it comes to your life story. I can assist by using my perspective and empathizing but only you know how you feel and sometimes words can fail us.

I’m a Licensed Master of Social Work (LMSW) located in Athens, Georgia. I have been working in the behavioral health field since 2018. I have worked in mental health inpatient and American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) level 3.5 and 3.7 substance use residential settings. Client issues have included depression, anxiety, school difficulties, eating disorders, grief, and chemical dependence.

In my free time, I enjoy visiting dog parks with my partner and my Chihuahua/Shih Tzu mix, Bentley, and reading historical fiction novels.