Ashley Busch
I am a Florida-based Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with a Master of Science in Art Therapy and Counseling from Eastern Virginia Medical School. I am also a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) and Certified Personality Disorder Treatment Professional (C-PD). With 12 years of experience as a practicing therapist, I provide telehealth services to adults throughout Florida. I specialize in supporting individuals living with chronic and complex mental health challenges, with a particular focus on Borderline Personality Disorder, trauma, mood disorders, self-compassion, anger management, relationship challenges, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).
I specialize in deep, integrative work that combines neuroscience-informed approaches with creativity to help clients explore and resolve underlying issues—not just manage symptoms.
My approach is compassionate, collaborative, and grounded in an integration of evidence-based and holistic practices. I strive to create a space where clients feel understood and supported while developing practical skills and deeper insight to create meaningful, lasting change.
First session
Our first session will focus on assessment and getting to know you, your experiences, and what you hope to accomplish through therapy. My approach is conversational, relaxed, and collaborative. I also welcome patients who want to ask questions and get to know me so they can feel confident that we’re a good fit for one another. We’ll work together toward the goals that are most meaningful to you, with me serving as an active and engaged participant in the process. I’m compassionate and supportive, but I’m also direct when needed. At times, I may challenge unhelpful thoughts, behaviors, or patterns that could be keeping you stuck. I believe that creating meaningful change requires both feeling understood and being willing to look honestly at what may be getting in the way. You can expect our sessions to include psychoeducation, new perspectives and insights, and practical skills for understanding, managing, and responding differently to difficult emotions, thoughts, behaviors, and relationship challenges. When appropriate, I’ll also provide opportunities to practice these skills between sessions so that what we work on in therapy can translate into meaningful change in your everyday life. One of the things I enjoy most about being a therapist is witnessing patients overcome obstacles they once believed were insurmountable and seeing their growth along the way. I’m best suited to working with patients who are ready to take an active role in their mental health and are willing to engage in the therapeutic process both during and between sessions. Therapy is a partnership, and lasting change comes from applying what you learn in therapy to your life outside of it.
Strengths
My work is grounded in a deep sense of empathy, curiosity, and a genuine passion for understanding complex internal dynamics and “connecting the dots.” Alongside my own lived experience with trauma, these qualities have shaped my commitment to helping others navigate mental health challenges with greater understanding, compassion, and hope. I focus on helping clients create meaningful, lasting change by developing new ways of responding to stress, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. Drawing on an understanding of how the brain and nervous system adapt, I help clients build the skills and awareness needed to shift long-standing patterns and support greater emotional well-being. I don’t believe in quick fixes or surface-level approaches. Meaningful healing requires more than simply talking about problems or trauma—it requires learning how to understand and work through them in ways that create lasting change. My goal is to help clients develop practical tools and deeper insight so they can feel more empowered, resilient, and capable of navigating life’s challenges for the long haul
Ideal clients
I am best positioned to work with patients who are committed to taking an active role in their mental health and are ready to take the therapeutic process seriously. While I work with a range of mental health concerns, I am particularly well suited for patients who are open to honest feedback, thoughtful challenge, and exploring patterns that may be contributing to ongoing emotional distress. My approach is compassionate but direct. When appropriate, I will challenge thoughts, behaviors, and patterns that may be keeping patients stuck or contributing to self-sabotage. This directness is always intended to support growth, increase self-awareness, and reduce unnecessary suffering. Patients do not need to have everything figured out when they begin therapy. What matters most is a willingness to be engaged, curious, and open to learning and practicing new ways of responding.
Treatment methods
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT is an evidence-based therapy specifically designed to help individuals with intense emotions, unstable relationships, and patterns of self-destructive or impulsive behavior—core challenges often experienced in borderline personality disorder (BPD). DBT teaches practical skills in four key areas: Distress Tolerance – managing crises and tolerating emotional pain without making things worse Mindfulness – staying present, aware, and grounded in the moment Emotion Regulation – understanding, managing, and reducing overwhelming emotions Interpersonal Effectiveness – building healthier relationships, setting boundaries, and communicating needs effectively DBT emphasizes both acceptance and change, and is a helpful approach for anyone struggling with their emotions, behaviors, thinking patterns, and relationships. In therapy, you’ll learn skills, practice them in real-life situations, and receive support and guidance to help break harmful patterns. The goal is to reduce emotional suffering, improve relationships, and create lasting stability and well-being.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful or distorted thinking patterns that can contribute to emotional distress or problem behaviors. Together, we explore these patterns and learn practical strategies to challenge and replace them with more adaptive, balanced ways of thinking. Through CBT, clients develop skills to recognize triggers, reframe negative thoughts, and change behaviors in a way that promotes healthier emotional responses and more effective problem-solving. It is a goal-oriented approach that emphasizes real-world practice, helping clients gain insight, build coping skills, and create lasting change in how they think, feel, and act.
Schema Therapy
Schema Therapy is a long-term, evidence-based talk therapy that focuses on identifying and changing schemas—deeply held patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that shape how people understand themselves and the world. Schemas often begin forming in childhood, especially in response to unmet emotional needs within the family or immediate environment. When these needs aren’t adequately met, schemas can become rigid and lead to unhealthy patterns, difficulties in relationships, emotional struggles, and other mental health challenges in adulthood. In Schema Therapy, clients work to recognize these patterns, understand their origins, and gradually develop healthier ways of thinking, feeling, and responding, creating lasting improvements in emotional well-being and relationships.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-based therapy is a type of talk therapy that combines meditation, breathing exercises, and present-moment awareness with cognitive therapy. It teaches you to focus on the "here and now" without judgment, helping clients break away from negative or automatic thought patterns that cause stress, anxiety, or depression
Psychoanalytic
I am a Registered Art Therapist (ATR) with a specialization in Psychoanalytic Art Therapy, which integrates psychoanalytic principles with the creative process of art-making. Psychoanalytic therapy is a form of talk therapy that explores unconscious thoughts, feelings, and past experiences—especially from childhood—that influence current behavior and emotional challenges. Through techniques such as analyzing dreams, free associations, and patterns in relationships, the therapist helps clients uncover hidden conflicts and gain insight into recurring life patterns. The goal is to increase self-awareness, resolve inner conflicts, and foster lasting emotional growth. Psychoanalytic art therapy uses art as a tool to access thoughts and feelings that may be difficult to express verbally. Clients create images freely, and together we explore the symbolic meaning of the artwork—often connecting it to early experiences, inner conflicts, or recurring emotional patterns. Like traditional psychoanalysis, the goal of psychoanalytic art therapy is to bring unconscious material into awareness, promote insight, and support emotional healing—but through a visual, nonverbal medium that can reveal what words alone sometimes cannot. No artistic ability or experience is required. Art therapy can be particularly helpful for trauma, emotional regulation, self-exploration, identity and self-esteem concerns, and processing complex or difficult-to-verbalize experiences. Art therapy is currently provided via telehealth. If interested in art therapy services, it is recommended to have at least a basic set of art materials (art paper, markers, colored pencils, a paint set, etc.)
Location
Virtual sessions
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Licensed in
- FloridaLicense MH18664