Ashlee Garau-Brittingham (she/her)

My Approach to Helping

It is so common to have internal voices encouraging avoidance, judgment & shame toward ourselves. Unfortunately, these voices don’t invite curiosity, awareness, empathy, or collaboration, which is where so much of therapy & healing live! I can help you understand why unwanted emotions arise, how to build new intentional skills to avoid repeating unhelpful patterns or reactions & give you a sense of being in control. I will provide tools that you can take everywhere to help slow down racing thoughts, clarify your intentions, & support your body to become regulated & centered. Therapeutic approaches I draw from surround narrative therapy, mindfulness, attachment, CBT, motivational interviewing, family systems therapy, & sensory-motor arousal regulation treatment (SMART). Safe space is so important! I create this environment by being curious, compassionate, & relational focused. It's also not uncommon for there to be laughter & humor in the moments we are both being relational humans.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I really believe every person holds innate strength & capabilities to pursue self-acceptance, growth, change, healing, & empowerment! I also take a position that firmly trusts all feelings are neither good or bad, right or wrong. Feelings are truth tellers & help provide context to what we are experiencing. Many clients describe trying to manage an unwanted feeling through avoidance & resistance because they lack the skills or have a belief that the strong or unwanted feeling is “bad/wrong”. I have witnessed when people are taught the skills to feel the honesty & vulnerability of an unwanted feeling, they find new perspectives, self-trust & opportunities to navigate toward a different outcome of that is more aligned of their values and needs.