LMFT, 13 years of experience
New to Grow
Welcome to my profile and the start of your wellness journey. I am Ashlyn Lance, a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of California (LMFT 91205). I graduated with a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy from California Lutheran University. I received advanced training in Intimate Partner Violence and Domestic Violence Intervention. I have been licensed as an MFT in the state of California since 2015 and has been involved in supervising and collaborating with pre-licensed associates since 2017. I consider my approach to be eclectic and draw from what best suits the client's needs. I am certified in CBT, DBT, and Trauma-focused treatment.
We will start by getting to know each other. I believe it is important to understand and learn from one another in order to determine the length of treatment and the goals that will be set. I would ideally like to hear about the client's background and current concerns that led them make the decision to enroll in treatment.
Overall, I love people. I love meeting new people and working with them to accomplish big goals. I consider it a privilege to meet each one of my clients and an honor to join with them as a team. As a therapist, I attempt to assist each client with defining their own goals. It is my job, and creative adventure, to guide them through making them happen. Therapy is an active adventure! I am always thrilled to watch my clients grow into the best version of themselves.
I typically treat patients who are involved in stressful life situations. Oftentimes, they may be going through hardships such as divorce or other pending legal concerns. In addition, I have extensive experience working with individuals who are actively in substance abuse recovery or involved in the law enforcement community. I enjoy working with each individual patient to explore therapeutic treatment goals. Goals should be client-driven and I work with my clients to feel in control of their treatment. We will discuss individual goals and lifestyle goals to achieve progress. Goals will be developed together and amended throughout treatment.
I enjoy educating and assisting patients in how their thoughts, feelings and actions can intersect. You can gain skills to control these to assist you in accomplishing your treatment goals.
I enjoy working with individuals and couples to explore and enhance their faith, no matter the religion. Spiritual practices can assist with managing mental health symptoms and in developing a more positive sense of self.
Couples Counseling can be a very vulnerable experience. I enjoy working with couples to reconnect to each other and to lean in on each other's strengths. The couple is a team and it is my goal to help the team get better in accomplishing shared goals.
I believe that our individual pasts, to include our past relationships, can impact how we continue to navigate our worlds. We can learn and grown from our past and it does not have to control us any longer. I work with my clients to understand how great the past is motivating their behaviors and how to control their attachments to best form relationships today.
DBT practices includes educating my clients in four areas, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation and mindfulness. DBT offers a structured form of CBT to help in managing intense emotions and to improve in using coping skills.