Ashley Baird Urbanski, MA, LMFT
Ashley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and MFT Board-Approved Supervisor.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 612-401-8718
Specialties
Anxiety, Depression, Eating Disorders, Coping Skills, Life Transitions, Mood Disorders, Self-Esteem, Trauma and PTSD and Women's Issues
Bio
Do you feel overwhelmed, lost, fearful, or just plain confused? Therapy can have a profound, clarifying impact on your life – helping you to live in line with your values and goals. I love asking unique questions that really get people thinking about their lives, including how to problem-solve difficulties in life and what to do to live more authentically. Clients describe me as thoughtful, kind, collaborative, and curious.
Together, we can create and work on personal, tangible goals that will bring you more in line with who you want to be and how you want to live. Providing clients with practical skills and ideas they can incorporate in their lives is a priority of mine. I thus love giving out handouts so that clients can remember what was discussed in session and what to practice between sessions.
I have extensive experience helping people who are depressed, anxious, and/or impacted by trauma. I am also particularly passionate about helping individuals heal difficult relationships with food, eating, and body image. Are you ever overcome with thoughts about food or your weight? I can help! I have overcome my own personal struggles with a debilitating eating disorder and depression, so I know firsthand and truly believe healing is possible and you don’t have to it alone! Fifteen years ago I met a therapist who was so incredibly supportive and helpful, and this changed my life. Now, I hope to be someone similar for my own clients. I believe I have the extensive personal and professional experiences that make me a unique, impactful therapist.
My Approach
It is helpful to know that I have specialty training in three unique therapy modalities – Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS). What do all these acronyms mean? How are they important to the work we do together?
Well, DBT is all about mindfulness, finding the middle path, and learning tangible, healthy coping skills. It provides a great foundation for being able to cope positively with the hard things in life. If you’re eager to learn new coping skills, I can help!
I use IFS to help clients increase self-awareness and learn about their different parts. Have you ever had the thought, “A part of me wants to do this, but another part of me wants to do something totally different”? I can help you figure out why these parts exist and how to create peace within your mind so that your parts are not battling each other. This will allow you to calm the storm in you mind and access your core, authentic Self.
Finally, ART is all about finding freedom from past traumas or difficult memories in an effective and efficient way. This approach is unique and amazingly quick!Combining eye movements (bilateral stimulation), visualization techniques, and calming body scans, ART changes the way distressing memories or images are stored in the brain, leading to positive changes in one’s life. I love this approach - especially for clients who are sick of regular talk therapy and want to try something new and life-changing.
I also offer Christian counseling if faith is an important part of your life and you want to incorporate it into your therapy! Either way, feel free to reach out for a quick call to see if I could be a good fit for what you might be looking for in a therapist. If you don’t know what to look for in a therapist, we can talk about that too! My whole goal is to be helpful!
Education
- MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
- Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) Trained Provider
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Trained Provider
Fun Facts
I absolutely adore my two female brown tabby cats; their names are Luna and Tuna, and they love cuddling and playing with me and each other. Besides my cats, I love spending time with my husband going to concerts, comedy shows, sporting events, and new restaurants. I also enjoy biking, crafting, reading, camping, hiking, being in nature, and traveling the world.
