Hi I'm Ashley!
For most of my life I was a chronic people pleaser. I had a hard time speaking up, disagreeing with people, setting supportive boundaries, or even knowing what I wanted. I often found myself molding my desires to fit those around me, and I would continually disregard the signs and feelings that my body gave me (ie: my intuition) and override them with my mind.
My people-pleasing tendencies and my inability to listen to the innate wisdom of my body had devastating results in my life. I hit rock bottom when I came to the realization that my husband was abusive and decided to leave my marriage with a newborn and 3 year old with no career and no clarity about what my future held.
It was at this point that I began a journey of self-discovery and empowerment which ultimately led me to life coaching. Having already received a BA in Sociology from Suffolk University, I completed Leadership and Emotional Intelligence training with Ascension Leadership Academy as well as a rigorous Master Coaching Certification with Elementum Coaching Institute.
Through my own work with coaches and guides, I have been able to heal from past wounds, shift my limited paradigms, come back to the truest version of myself, and re-access my own inner guidance system.
I have transformed my life from one of suffering and victimhood into one in which I am living in alignment with my inner truth and inner calling.
Now it is my passion to guide others on their journeys home to themselves.
Here's what you can accomplish:
✔️RE-CONNECTION to your highest self
✔️ CAPACITY to create healthy relationships
✔️ DEEP HEALING from past wounds and trauma
✔️ CLARITY around what you actually desire in life
✔️ EXPANDED sense of what is possible for you in your life
✔️ RENEWED CONFIDENCE in yourself
✔️ INSIGHT into your blindspots and what has been holding you back
✔️CONNECTION to your intuition
TECHNIQUES WE USE
Inner Child Work
Inner child work is a therapeutic approach that focuses on healing the parts of ourselves that were shaped during childhood. The "inner child" refers to the part of us that still holds onto the feelings, memories, and experiences from our early years, whether they were joyful or traumatic. Often, unresolved emotional wounds or unmet needs from childhood can influence our behavior, relationships, and emotional well-being as adults.
Here's a breakdown of how inner child work can be helpful:
- Recognizing and Connecting with Your Inner Child: This involves acknowledging the child within you—the part that might still feel vulnerable, neglected, or hurt. It can be helpful to think about the feelings, beliefs, and experiences you had as a child.
- Healing Emotional Wounds: Inner child work allows you to revisit and address any emotional pain or trauma from childhood, such as neglect, abandonment, criticism, or emotional invalidation. By confronting and understanding these experiences, you can begin to heal.
- Reparenting Yourself: This part of inner child work involves providing yourself with the care, love, and nurturing you might not have received as a child. It's about learning to give yourself the validation and compassion you need as an adult.
- Building Self-Compassion: Connecting with your inner child helps you develop self-compassion by recognizing your past wounds and treating yourself with kindness and understanding. It helps you heal feelings of shame or unworthiness.
- Releasing Limiting Beliefs: Childhood experiences often create limiting beliefs about who we are, what we're capable of, or how we should behave. Inner child work can help you challenge and release these beliefs, allowing you to embrace your true potential.
Internal Family Systems Work
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a form of psychotherapy developed by Richard Schwartz in the 1980s. It operates on the premise that the mind is made up of various "parts," each with its own thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
The central idea of IFS is that everyone has a core "Self" that is calm, compassionate, and capable of healing. In therapy, the goal is to help a person get in touch with their Self and begin healing by understanding and resolving the conflicts between their parts. Instead of viewing certain thoughts or behaviors as inherently "bad," IFS looks at them as parts that are trying to protect or help in some way.
IFS therapy can be beneficial for a wide range of issues, including trauma, depression, anxiety, and relationship struggles. It encourages self-compassion and helps individuals understand that their parts, though sometimes unhelpful, are often acting out of a desire to protect them.
Challenging Paradigms
Challenging limiting paradigms means questioning the assumptions and beliefs that we hold to be true. These assumptions are often shaped by our family, society, culture, and personal experiences, and they can be extremely limiting and, if unexplored, often keep us from reaching our full potential.
Somatic Release
Somatic release refers to the process of releasing stored tension, trauma, or emotional experiences that are held in the body. The idea behind somatic release is that our bodies can "remember" emotional or psychological stress, often manifesting as physical sensations or pain. These sensations might be stored deep within the muscles, fascia, or nervous system as a result of past events, trauma, or ongoing stress.
The term "somatic" refers to the body, and somatic practices focus on bringing awareness to the body and its sensations to facilitate healing. Somatic work allows us to release the emotions that we no longer need to hold onto, creating a renewed sense of freedom and space in the body.
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional intelligence (EI or EQ) refers to the ability to recognize, understand, manage, and influence your emotions. Emotional intelligence is often considered just as important, if not more important, than traditional cognitive intelligence (IQ) when it comes to success in both personal and professional life. It helps with communication, problem-solving, leadership, and maintaining emotional balance.
Spirituality
Incorporating spirituality in coaching sessions can be a deeply enriching and healing aspect of the therapeutic process. It involves integrating the client's spiritual beliefs, practices, and values as part of their emotional and psychological healing.
Spirituality brings a more holistic approach to therapy, addressing not just the mind and emotions, but also the soul or deeper sense of self. This approach can help clients make meaning of their experiences, find purpose, and connect to something larger than themselves, such as a higher power, nature, or a sense of universal love
Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP)
Neurolinguistic programming (NLP) is a psychological approach that involves understanding and changing human behavior through the use of language, patterns of thought, and communication. The core idea of NLP is that there is a connection between neurological processes, language, and behavioral patterns that have been learned through experience. By changing how we think and communicate, NLP aims to help individuals achieve specific goals, improve personal effectiveness, and overcome psychological challenges.
Reframing is a powerful tenant of NLP that changes the way a person perceives an event or situation in order to alter its meaning and impact on their behavior and emotions.
Healthy Sexuality
Sexual repression, guilt, and shame are deeply ingrained in our culture. Most clients have to unlearn beliefs that they internalized from a very young age. Consciously letting go of these beliefs as well as working through any sexual trauma that was experienced can liberate clients to have a healthy and fulfilling sex life.