Margaret Ast

My first career was in teaching and counseling is my second career. I did my internship at Ridgeview Institute on the adolescent unit. I worked there for 5 years as the DBT coordinator, utilizing both my teaching and counseling skills. While there, I trained graduate students in DBT (dialectical behavioral therapy.) I also became a registered play therapist during that time. I started a private practice, My Secret Garden counseling service, in 2015. I work with all ages, mainly helping people build a life worth living by learning to manage their emotions instead of having their emotions manage them. I believe in the inherent worth of every person, and that healing comes from relationship. I am a Christian, but have seen people of various beliefs. I am well versed in DBT, but also incorporate interactive play, talk therapy, and expressive art techniques.