Hello!
I am a registered and board-certified Art Therapist and Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. I use a client-centered approach in therapy, where you are the expert of your life, and I am here to walk with you through life’s challenges. We will weave together your experiences from past and present during your personal journey.
My integrated approach to therapy incorporates elements from traditional talk therapy, with art therapy, narrative therapy, nature-based therapy, and sand tray.I use a person-centered approach to determine with you, which modality meets your needs, and interests. I also apply trauma-informed practices, cognitive behavioral therapy, internal family systems, somatic experiencing, and mindfulness.
I am a Certified Clinical Anxiety Treatment Professional, working with Anxiety Disorders, Depression, and grief. Additionally, I like to work with individuals diagnosed with Neurocognitive Diseases such as Dementia/Alzheimer’s Diseases. I possess many years of training and a multitude of experiences working 1:1 with individuals with dementia and their caregivers. I have a special interest in religious trauma and recovery from oppressive systems. I believe in forming holistic connections between mind~body~community~earth for personal growth.
Progress in therapy happens when you feel a connection with your therapist. I believe our lived experience shapes us but does not define us. Knowing some of my personal history can help you with the rapport building process. I was raised in a blue collar, blended family, in rural Northwestern Wisconsin. My background includes many adverse childhood experiences. These experiences ultimately led me to use art making as a coping skill early on in life. I moved to Milwaukee, WI at age eighteen and lived there for ten years. I discovered that I wanted to empower others to share their voice through art.
When I finished my bachelor’s degree, I graduated into the recession. I embarked on a winding path to become a therapist, pursuing AmeriCorps, continuing education in psychology, and had my own art business, working as a teaching artist at several non-profit organizations. In my late twenties, my husband and I moved to the St. Louis, MO region so I could pursue graduate school in Art Therapy Counseling. During that time, we experienced fertility complications and spent two years going through fertility treatments, which included two in vitro fertilization attempts. I had my first child during the start of the pandemic. My family and I moved to rural northwestern Wisconsin during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. We have since settled into the area and call it home. When I am not “Ashley the Therapist" I am a mother to two kids, a wife to a special education teacher, a dog and cat mom, a gardener, an aspiring chef, a lover of the great outdoors, an artist, and an adventurer.
If you want to read about my CV click the button below.