Ashley Hartwell, MS, LPC
Hi, I'm Ashley! Thank you for taking a moment to learn a little bit about me. I was born and raised in a small town north of Madison, Wisconsin and lived in Wisconsin until I moved to Arizona in 2013. In my free time I love hiking, cooking, hanging out with my three dogs, and spending time with my wonderful family.
I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Whitewater before moving to Arizona where I earned my Master of Science in Professional Counseling from Grand Canyon University. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), a Board approved clinical supervisor, and the proud owner of Summit Therapy. While I do not subscribe to the belief that there is a certain therapeutic technique or modality that fits for everyone, I do utilize and am trained in EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy), and operate from a trauma-informed and HAES (Health At Every Size) perspective.
It is my belief that the most important and powerful part of therapy is the relationship that develops. I strive to create an environment free from judgment or expectation to allow for the creation of the most genuine, pure relationship.
I enter into each session with an open mind and honor the needs present in the room on any given day. Together we will work to achieve your goals and it is my intention to provide a secure, consistent, supportive environment in which to do so.
It would truly be an honor to be part of your journey.
Expertise
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
Restricting, excessive exercise, binge eating, purging, body checking, counting calories, fad dieting, labeling foods "good and bad", and fear of gaining weight are just some of the things you may experience if you suffer from an eating disorder or disordered eating.
I approach eating disorders and disordered eating from an intuitive eating and Health at Every Size (HAES) perspective. Together we will work to ensure you (and your support network) are educated and well-supported by a clinical team (including your doctor and dietician). We will work to eliminate current unhealthy behaviors and increase healthy outlets and distress management skills, and we will uncover and heal the core of the issue.
You deserve to be free and have a healthy relationship with food and exercise.
“I would not encourage you to go through the sweat, blood, and tears of the recovery process only to reach some kind of mediocre state where you were just ‘managing’ the illness. It is possible to live without Ed.”
- Jenni Schaefer
Trauma
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
"Trauma" is anything that overwhelms a person's ability to cope in that moment. I often hear people say "It could have been so much worse" or "It wasn't that bad compared to ..." or "I should have gotten over it". I'm here to tell you that your feelings are valid and your experience is not to be compared to anyone else's. Whether your traumatic experience happened 6 months ago or 20 years ago, you may still be suffering. This may look like frequent nightmares, flashbacks, negative beliefs about yourself or about the world, depressed mood, anxiety, unhealthy coping mechanisms, guilt, shame, and other unwanted symptoms.
I will work with you, at your pace, to understand your trauma, identify your trauma responses, validate the impact your experience has on your life, explore what freedom from trauma can look like for you, and work together to get there.
"Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.”
- Peter A. Levine
EMDR
Eating Disorders and Disordered Eating
EMDR
EMDR stands for "eye movement desensitization and reprocessing" and is currently the most researched treatment for trauma and adverse life experiences. In addition to being incredibly successful in treating trauma, it is also extremely effective in treating depression, anxiety, addiction, phobias, and many other conditions.
We all have core beliefs about ourselves and about the world that we establish through our life experiences. Some of these core beliefs are negative and interfere with our lives. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to reprocess the experiences connected to these negative beliefs and store them with a more adaptive belief that no longer interferes with our life. I have seen EMDR change many lives and believe it can change your life too.
“The past affects the present even without our being aware of it.”
- Francine Shapiro