Hello! I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. No, that doesn't mean I only see families and couples - in fact, I mainly see individual clients, but I'm interested in systems and relationships and how they can help or hinder one's mental health. I've been providing therapy for 8 years in Minnesota. I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, and eating disorders. I really enjoy helping people who want to change their relationship with food and their body.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
From the get-go, you can expect me to be authentic and very interested in and attentive to what you have to say. In the first session I really work to get to know you, your background, and what you're struggling with and want to change in your life. I care deeply about providing clients with tangible coping skills, so I try to provide you with at least one positive coping skill right away (that you can take from your first session and start to use in your life immediately). During the first session (and future sessions too) you definitely don't need to worry about what to say - I can help guide you! You can expect to feel hopeful, validated, and encouraged in your first session and beyond. We will also talk about goals and a plan for our work together.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I have many varied personal and professional experiences that make me unique as a provider. I have been through my own mental health struggles and overcome them. I never wanted to be a therapist, but because of my own experiences in healing from depression and an eating disorder, I found a true passion for wanting to help others overcome their mental health struggles too. I thus offer unique understanding and lived experience. I also have experience teaching and have a wealth of different interests. I have traveled the world and learned immensely from that. I am also an artist and love incorporating creativity into sessions. My strengths further include integrity, empathy, and authenticity.
About Ashley Baird Urbanski
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I have years of experience leading DBT groups and teaching skills to clients. I have been formally trained in DBT through BehaviorTech (Marsha Linehan's model). I use this approach to help people change behaviors they want to change. Both/and thinking and finding the middle path are two main ideas from DBT that I instill in my clients. I teach DBT skills focused on helping clients with emotion regulation, distress tolerance, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I have years of experience guiding people through IFS exercises and using IFS with my clients. I use this in my practice by helping people recognize the different parts of their internal world and personality; then I work with clients to help them find their core Self.
Brainspotting
I am formally trained in brainspotting, but also in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) which is the modality of eye-movement therapy I prefer to use. With ART I use a script and bilateral stimulation (usually in the form of eye movement sets) to guide clients in reprocessing trauma. I also use ART to help patients work through fears and phobias, difficult relationships, and more. ART is a very effective intervention that can help people change quickly in as little as 1-3 sessions.