Areas of Expertise
Adolescent and Teen Therapy
Parent Coaching
Therapy for Therapists and Grad Students
Anxiety and Perfectionism
Clinical Supervision and Consultation
Adolescent and Teen Therapy
The teenage years can be a confusing and tender time for the entire family. Although our society has become increasingly more aware of mental health than ever before, today’s youth are struggling. In fact, it’s estimated that half of all adolescents have had a mental health disorder at some point in their lives.
While some children talk to their parents about their feelings, many hesitate or avoid the conversation altogether. This can certainly put parents in a precarious position. You want what’s best for your child, but you don’t want to overstep or say the wrong thing.
If you sense your teenager is struggling, early intervention and professional support can be crucial for your child’s well-being. Therapy offers a compassionate, non-judgmental environment to unpack mental health concerns and learn new ways to cope with their stress.
In my practice, I specialize in therapy for teenagers and offer guidance and support. Here are some of the main concerns I treat:
Distress Tolerance and Emotional Regulation
Are you concerned about your child’s impulsivity? Are there signs of self-harm, substance use, or suicidal ideation?
These can be such sensitive topics- your teenager can benefit greatly from connecting with an experienced mental health provider who gets it. I have extensive experience working with this population, and I value blending my expertise with humor and authenticity in my work.
First things first- your child’s safety is an utmost priority. If your teen is in a crisis, we’ll tackle that first. Building rapport here is essential- my job is to hold compassionate space for them to help them feel safe and supported. Throughout treatment, we’ll work on identifying and utilizing coping skills they can use to immediately take care of themselves.
Therapy for distress tolerance and emotional regulation includes:
- understanding how certain triggers cause various behavioral responses
- learning new ways to manage stress
- improving self-esteem and strengthening communication skills
- engaging in more mindfulness practices when emotions feel overwhelming
Low Self-Esteem
It’s painful for parents to watch their teenagers struggle with their confidence and self-worth. You see the best in your child- it’s heartbreaking when they feel poorly about themselves.
Peer pressure, academic stress, social media, and concerns about the future can all affect self-esteem. Therapy for self-esteem issues is multifaceted and may include:
- understanding the specific triggers impacting self-esteem using a strengths-based approach to harness your child’s inherent wisdom and strengths
- empowering your child with effective problem-solving strategies
- helping your child improve their connections with trusted supports, including family members, friends, teachers, and coaches
Depression
Depression symptoms can emerge at any age, but they often first appear during the teen years. Your child may present as withdrawn or disconnected. They may be more agitated or fatigued. You may also notice changes in functioning- this can include no longer wanting to spend time with friends or losing interest in school or extracurricular activities.
Depression is not necessarily a phase that teenagers experience- it is a serious mental health condition that can compromise your child’s quality of life. The good news is that it’s treatable.
In my work with teenagers, we treat depression by:
- addressing any crisis issues associated with depression, such as self-harm or suicidal ideation
- identifying healthier coping skills to manage depression symptoms
- setting boundaries and improving communication skills
- identifying inherent strengths and virtues in daily life
Anxiety
Anxiety shows up in so many forms, ranging from obvious panic attacks to ruminating thoughts to phobias to social discomfort. Teenagers with anxiety may be perfectionistic with schoolwork or athletics; some of them will also procrastinate or avoid tasks that feel too daunting.
In my work with anxiety, we will focus on:
- understanding the irrational thoughts that often accompany anxiety
- reducing and managing stress appropriately
- gently exposing your child to feared situations to reduce chronic anxiety
Family Issues
Your child is a product of many systems: their family, school, peer group, friends, culture, etc. All of these influences affect who they are and what they value.
Family issues can exacerbate mental health problems. Such issues may include intergenerational trauma, divorce, the birth of a new sibling, relocating, or financial hardship.
If any of these are occurring, therapy offers a supportive environment for helping your child feel seen and heard. I’ll provide them with tangible coping strategies to use when they feel stressed or angry, which can support their overall wellness.
Teen Therapy in Marin County, Palo Alto, and Virtually in CA and NY
In addition to individual therapy, I can coordinate family therapy, parent-child therapy, or parent coaching. I also offer these services in my practice. We can discuss these options before or during treatment.
If you’re concerned about your teenager’s mental health struggles, treatment can help. To learn more about my services, please contact me today.
Parent Coaching
Are you feeling overwhelmed trying to find the right support for your teenager? Navigating the complexities of your situation can be daunting, especially when efforts to engage your teen in therapy seem to fall short. At Ashley Brady Therapy, we specialize in supporting families who find themselves exhausted and in crisis.
Parent Coaching Approach
Ashley works closely with parents to connect them with the most effective resources tailored to their unique needs. She also offers parent coaching, providing practical strategies to help you initiate conversations with your teen about therapy in a way that resonates. Her approach is focused on short-term, goal-oriented, and solution-focused interventions, designed to create meaningful progress.
Comprehensive Care
While Ashley’s expertise spans a wide range of challenges, she recognizes that some situations may require specialized treatments beyond her practice. In such cases, she collaborates with a trusted network of mental health professionals who offer specialized treatments such as TMS, EMDR, or Ketamine-Assisted Therapy, ensuring you receive comprehensive care.
Therapy for Grad Students and Therapists
Throughout their careers, therapists are often recommended to seek personal therapy for themselves. And yet, if we’re being honest, it can be really hard to find the right therapist.
Maybe you worry that your therapist will act more like a supervisor or colleague. Maybe you fear being negatively judged for struggling or experiencing adversity. Or maybe you’ve tried therapy in the past, and it’s gone well, and now you’re looking to start again (or try something new).
As a therapist for other therapists, I feel passionate about working with other mental health providers in my practice. Here’s what I can offer you.
Benefits of Therapy for Graduate Students
Graduate school can feel so jarring! You’re learning about all these laws, ethics, theories, and the nuts and bolts of how to do therapy. At the same time, you may also be reconciling many other issues, including early burnout, imposter syndrome, anxiety about your career, and personal life stressors.
While you’re juggling coursework, you’re also struggling with the realities of what it actually means to be a therapist. Maybe that includes acknowledging unresolved traumas or unfulfilling relationships. Perhaps it’s the inner conflict associated with self-diagnosing- you’re reading about all these conditions and some of them may just feel like they’re hitting a little too close to home!
I get it, and I’m here to help. Therapy for grad students offers:
Increased self-awareness: Insight is such an important part of being a therapist. We all enter this profession with varying strengths, weaknesses, and unique lived experiences. Cultivating more self-awareness during your grad program can help you better support your clients and feel more confident and grounded in daily life.
Sense of support: As you navigate your classes, fieldwork, supervision, and other essential parts of this field, it can be stabilizing to have a steady ally. Therapy provides a safe, judgment-free holding space during these various transitions.
Improved mental health: No therapist is immune to mental health issues. Many graduate students struggle with their own depression, anxiety, trauma, and more. Even though you’re developing awareness of how to support clients in managing these symptoms, it’s equally important to learn how to manage your own.
Please note that I reserve a few sliding scale slots for counseling graduate students. These are not always available- please contact me to inquire about this option.
Therapy for Therapists
As a therapist, you spend your days listening to heavy stories, processing intense emotions, and guiding clients experiencing crises. You act as a steady anchor for so many people- but do you have the support you need in your own life?
As a therapist for therapists, I enjoy working with other mental health professionals seeking to expand their self-awareness and improve their overall coping in daily life. We may be a great fit for each other if you have:
ADHD: ADHD can affect all parts of personal and professional functioning. You may feel indecisive, scattered, chronically overwhelmed, or fearful of rejection. At work, you might find yourself ‘drowning in paperwork’ or administrative tasks. Together, we can work on strengthening your overall executive function to help you feel more empowered.
Anxiety symptoms: Anxiety shows up in different ways, but many therapists with anxiety develop patterns of people-pleasing, avoidance, or obsessive thinking. This can feel both exhausting and frustrating. Together, we’ll unpack your main triggers and discuss healthy strategies for coping with stress.
Relationship problems: Therapists often feel intense pressure to present perfectly in their relationships. But we all experience ups and downs with connection: maybe you struggle with conflict, intimacy, or boundaries (or all of the above!). Therapy can help you understand how you show up in your relationships and give you tangible skills for deepening connections with others.
Career-related stress: Being a therapist is hard. You’re managing so many complex feelings from clients, dealing with colleagues and supervisors, focusing on establishing yourself, and trying to prioritize self-care on top of all that. Therapy gives you space to explore your stress with someone who will unconditionally care about your needs and well-being.
My Approach to Therapy
As a therapist, I see myself as a guide helping you identify specific problems and goals. We will deeply explore how your problems are affecting you and why change feels important to you right now.
I typically conceptualize challenges from an attachment theory/relational lens. In my practice, I embrace an eclectic approach to care, drawing from attachment-based therapy, CBT, DBT, and ACT. We also may work well together if you:
- value having a therapist with a direct approach
- are seeking to be held compassionately accountable
- enjoy humor!
Clinical Supervision and Consultation for Therapists
In addition to providing therapy for mental health professionals, I also offer various supervision and consulting services.
Learn more about my current offerings here.
Therapy in Marin County, Palo Alto, and Virtually in CA and NY
I wholeheartedly respect the courage it takes to seek professional support. I do believe personal therapy is one of the best investments you can make for yourself.
If you’d like to learn more about me or my practice, I offer 15-minute consultations for potential clients. Please contact me today to get started.
Anxiety and Perfectionism
Maybe you’re always worrying about…something. Even when things are going “okay,” there’s this looming dread or panic that something bad could happen. Maybe you try to cope with this anxiety by holding onto control and doing things perfectly. Or maybe you just find yourself constantly freezing and feeling stuck. You want to move forward, but you’re terrified of failure.
Anxiety symptoms come in many forms, but all of them can impact daily functioning and affect your mental and physical health. Even if you recognize that you’re thinking irrationally, insight alone may not change how you feel.
In my practice, I work with young adults seeking to treat anxiety or overcome perfectionism. Here are some of the main specialties I treat in my practice:
Constant Worry and Anxiety Symptoms
No matter what’s happening in your life, you just feel stressed all the time. It’s like you’re constantly waiting for something bad to happen. You feel anxious and hypervigilant, and being in a constant state of fight-or-flight comes with steep costs. These costs can include panic attacks, sleep problems, relationship stress, procrastination, fear of making mistakes, avoidance behaviors, and more.
Many of my clients with anxiety disorders have done a good amount of therapy in the past. They often have good insight into their symptoms, and some have been able to meet their desired treatment goals. But many clients also feel like they’ve done a lot of therapy, and nothing has worked that well or the relief was just too short-lived.
If you relate to this, my therapy can help you:
- better understand the origin of your anxiety and the role it plays in your daily life
- manage your stress levels more effectively and realistically
- learn how to practice self-compassion when you’re struggling
- deepen your capacity for safety and comfort in your personal relationships
- embrace uncertainty with more acceptance for the ups and downs of life
- change the relationship you have with anxiety altogether
Cycles of Perfectionism
Are you terrified of rejection? Do you panic when you make even a small mistake? Are you constantly comparing yourself to others and feeling like you don’t measure up?
Perfectionist tendencies and anxiety symptoms often go hand-in-hand. Perfectionistic thinking often coincides with the underlying belief that if you do things perfectly, you’ll experience more love, happiness, and self-worth. There may also be this subconscious belief that perfectionism can shield you from rejection or abandonment.
The truth is that overcoming perfectionism isn’t just about getting comfortable with failure or even “being average.” It’s about understanding both the origin and function of your perfectionistic tendencies and how they may benefit and cost you. It’s also about untangling self-acceptance and self-love from being perfect. This is depth-oriented work, and it can be profoundly rewarding for making long-term changes.
Together, we will:
- examine the negative self-talk that emerges in response to your perfectionism
- focus on gently shifting the high expectations you have for yourself
- discuss how to practice mindfulness and healthy coping skills when things don’t go perfectly
Low Self-Worth
Building self-worth can be a slow but meaningful process. Therapy means that you don’t have to do it alone.
We embark on this journey together by first understanding the negative thought patterns you have about yourself. From there, we will also spend time exploring your values and goals. We’ll review the kind of relationship you want to have with yourself and identify which passions feel most important for you to pursue.
Therapy for Anxiety, Perfectionism, and Self-Esteem
I specialize in helping young adults manage anxiety, overcome perfectionism, and strengthen their overall emotional wellness. No matter what your anxious thoughts tell you, life can get better, and you aren’t doomed to feeling chronically worried!
I offer individual therapy in Marin County, Palo Alto, and virtually throughout California and New York. My therapy style is warm, direct, and authentic. We’ll work together to set realistic goals for your treatment, and I’ll be here supporting your growth and wellness.
If you’d like to learn more about me or my approach- or if you’re ready to get started- please contact me today to schedule an initial consultation.
Clinical Supervision and Consultation
Clinical supervisors play a crucial role in training and supporting the newer generations of therapists. Ideally, your clinical supervisor helps you feel guided and mentored as you work with your clients. This relationship can be one of the most important pieces of your clinical training process.
In my practice, I’m pleased to offer a variety of supervision and consultation services in the following areas of interest:
Clinical Supervision for Therapists
The supervisory relationship can be one of the most important pieces of your clinical training process. Supervision can support all phases of professional development.
Over the past few years, I have offered clinical supervision to training mental health professionals. I have extensive training and clinical knowledge in CBT, DBT, ACT, and EFT. If these modalities pique your interest, I would be honored to help cultivate your professional growth through structured supervision sessions.
I can sign off on clinical hours for both AMFTs and ASWs and support you through your licensure process. You might benefit from my ongoing supervision process if you’re seeking:
- to strengthen your competence in working with teenagers and adolescents
- to feel more confident working in milieu-based settings (schools, hospitals, community
mental health, and treatment facilities)
- support for working with clients with acute mental health needs
- an active and collaborative relationship that honors mutual respect and constructive feedback
Clinical supervision, even when it’s not required, can still be profoundly beneficial after licensure. Many therapists value the supervisory process when changing jobs, working with new presenting issues, or developing a different clinical niche altogether.
Consultation Services for Mental Health Professionals
Consultation helps us all strengthen our competence and expand our professional skills. It can be beneficial at any stage of the therapeutic career.
In my practice, I offer various consulting services for therapists and mental health organizations in the following areas of interest:
DBT Consultation Services
DBT is an effective, evidence-based treatment for numerous mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, eating disorders, self-harm, and more. It can be used as a standalone model, but it can also be adapted and integrated with other modalities.
I offer different types of DBT consultations, including one-time consultations, hourly services, or weekly meetings. My DBT consultation focuses on:
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increasing competence within the DBT modality
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strategies for implementing DBT alongside other modalities
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how to use DBT with specific populations, including teens/adolescents and clients with acute mental health concerns
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integrating phone coaching into your private practice
Different Levels of Psychiatric Care
I have extensive experience working in various levels of psychiatric care, including residential, partial-hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient. Each level of care comes with its own unique needs and considerations. I’m available to provide clinical consultation for individual therapists, group practices, or organizations at large.
Consultation will focus on:
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understanding the nuances associated with each level of care
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enhancing clinical skills within higher levels of care
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increasing awareness of different mental health services to understand how they may better support your clients
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Clients Experiencing Self-Harm or Suicidal Ideation
Many therapists experience anxiety when treating clients with these presenting concerns. When managing potential crises, you may naturally feel concerned about your scope of competence and how to abide by your state laws and ethics. That said, it’s equally important to effectively support clients navigating these issues.
My specific consultation services in this area include:
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proper assessment strategies for self-harm and suicidal ideation
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appropriate, evidence-based treatment interventions
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navigating potential legal issues and ethical dilemmas
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managing your own countertransference
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coordinating care with other treatment team members
Therapy for Therapists
I also specialize in providing therapy to other therapists. I’m happy to see counseling students who need therapy hours to complete their graduate programs. As a therapist, I blend evidence-based practices with compassion and attunement.
To learn more about my current therapy offerings, click here or contact me today to discuss your specific needs.