MY "WHY" - WHY I TRAIN THE WAY I DO
For a more in-depth look at how I train, take a look at this short video
I believe relationships and great trainings are co-created. It's my job to help you be great at your job. I'm committed to helping you be exceptional and love doing this work.
MY APPROACH
This is a uniquely challenging time to be a therapist. We have never been more needed, had more asked of us, and had less energy to give.
I live in the real world with you. I'm determined to make your life easier and this work sustainable while ensuring you don't have to compromise quality to do it. There is room for flexibility AND fidelity: both are important.
I help clinicians build on their existing clinical skills using a foundation of evidence-based treatment models to take their practice to the next level.
I stay humble by continuing to actively treat children, which means sharing my own mistakes and successes. My passion comes from the privilege we share in helping families heal and from the joy of learning and growing with you!
OTHERS' "WHY"
"Ashley is absolutely amazing!!! The resources, her care, her clinical judgment - all are top notch!"
"I learned more in the past 2 days than in an entire course in graduate school."
"Ashley was GREAT! Very engaging and kept us interested. There was a good balance of lecture and role plays (something I truly hate normally). She was understanding that sitting still for five hours isn't realistic for all of us, and she was accommodating to that."
"This training was phenomenal, and I wish it could have been longer. It's impossible not to feel Ashley's passion for the topic and leave with so much new knowledge."
"I loved all of the creative approaches to working with clients from all walks of life."
TRAINING PACKAGES & REGISTRATION
Virtual, live Training and In-Person Training
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TF-CBT Training and Consultation for National Certification
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AF-CBT Training and Consultation for National Certification
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Advanced TF-CBT Topics
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TF-CBT PSB Enhancement Training and Consultation
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Training for Children's Advocacy Centers and Multidisciplinary Teams
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​Other topics and custom training offered as requested
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Agency, CAC, or MDT consultation as requested
What to Expect from Training
and Consultation
I equip you with lots of tools and creative interventions you can try out immediately with your own clients. You will leave every single training with something practical you can do – loads of activities and resources, countless analogies, tons of creativity at your fingertips.
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Conserve your energy for the things that matter. What matters is doing good work and helping families heal.
Who am I Outside of Work?
In my free time, I enjoy gardening, hiking, and making pottery. There is nothing that teaches nonattachment like working with clay! There are many steps along the way of creating something where things can go sideways, so a mantra potters have is, “It’s just dirt”. I met a master potter years ago and asked for her best advice on how to develop my skills. She suggested I throw and throw and throw on the wheel… and then throw everything away. It’s true - mistakes are how we learn. Her point was well taken, if not a little intense for me. It reminds me of working on trauma narration and processing – the process is what helps kids heal, not the product.
To see more of what I'm up to outside of work, check out this brief video:
ABOUT ME
Background
I earned my MSW from UNC-Chapel Hill in 1995 and have specialized in treating children exposed to trauma ever since - over 2,000 children and families! Most of my direct clinical experience has been in Children's Advocacy Centers and Domestic Violence shelters. I still see clients at my local CAC and love my job. The CAC movement is deeply important to me, and I will always champion the impact CAC clinicians have on our communities. One of my passions is helping providers who are new to the field get off to a strong start as clinicians and sharing resources with them that help them be successful.
I worked at the national level training clinicians in CACs for the past 2 1/2 years and continue to consult with the National Children's Alliance as a Master Trainer. Before that, I was a TF-CBT trainer at the North Carolina Child Treatment Program for 10 years. I train clinicians in models like Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Alternatives for Families: A Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (AF-CBT) and a PSB enhancement of TF-CBT incorporating individualized assessment and safety planning. I trained over 1,000 CAC clinicians and consulted with many more on their cases over the past two years. I have developed TF-CBT programs, statewide assessment protocols for children exposed to trauma, and created training and clinical programs in various organizations. This breadth of experience has been invaluable to me: it shaped the perspective I bring, my priorities, and my commitment to sharing that with you.
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I take what I have learned from partnering with thousands of clinicians in training, the way other national trainers have impacted me and helped me grow, plus 30 years of personal treatment experience to enrich your learning and consultation. Doing this work well results in better client outcomes, builds your compassion satisfaction, and leads to meaningful, sustainable practice.
