Ashley’s Journey to Becoming a Counselor

I was born in North Carolina and have been moving ever since. I have traveled the country and befriended people all over the world. I grew up in a military family and would not change the experience.

After living in many different places, I found myself settled in South Dakota. I have family there and it felt like home. I graduated high school and continued on to South Dakota State University where I always knew the end goal; become a counselor. I have always been passionate about helping others and knew this is how I wanted to do this. I graduated from South Dakota State University in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Development and Family Studies. From here, I knew that I wanted to work with children and families. I have worked closely with children my entire life from daycare to Sunday school to working with children who have experienced various forms of trauma.

Ashley’s Approach to Counseling

In counseling, I use a relational approach. I want to create an open, inviting environment where the focus is on you. I am here to be with you through your experiences and support you through your growth process. As a counselor, I promise to be supportive, nonjudgmental and empathetic. You will be heard here. I believe that all persons have the tools inside to make any of the changes they wish to see. I am here to simply help you in discovery those tools and learning how to use them.

My passion is to help children and families. Childhood is such a vital time where events can have a lasting impact on us. I want to assist in fostering healthy relationships and communication between members of the family. Trauma is another thing that can have a lasting impact on us and affect our day to day lives. I am here to help you through trauma, learning coping skills for the day to day routine or techniques for strengthening communication within a family.

Ashley’s Area of Interest

I am interested in working with children, adolescents, young adults and families/couples in the areas of:

• Trauma
• Anxiety
• Life Transitions
• Attachment
• Emotional and Behavioral Challenges
• Relationships
  • Families
  • Communication

Our experiences play a role in the people we become, but there is a point in which we have control and can choose to make the changes we wish to see.