You've carried a lot for a long time.
You Might Be Here Because…
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You feel anxious, on edge, or mentally exhausted
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You overthink everything, and still feel unsure
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You’re used to being the “strong one”… but you’re tired
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You struggle to trust yourself or others
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You feel disconnected - from yourself, your body, or your emotions
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You had a difficult childhood, even if “nothing major” happened
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You keep repeating patterns in relationships you don’t understand
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You want things to feel different, but don’t know where to start
You don’t have to have all the answers to begin.
"She truly listens. She's very empathetic, really present, and makes you feel heard, like your thoughts and feelings matter."
Shared Anonymously
"Ashley is a warm compassionate person who meets you where you are. She listens without judgement and provides thoughtful, honest guidance while genuinely caring about your well-being."
Shared Anonymously
"She is organized, deeply insightful, and has a calming presence that makes you feel safe and supported."
Shared Anonymously
Who I work
well with...
Many of my clients are thoughtful, and deeply caring women who appear capable on the outside—but internally feel overwhelmed, anxious, emotionally exhausted, or disconnected from themselves.
You may be:
• A woman navigating anxiety, burnout, or perfectionism
• Someone healing from painful relationships, difficult childhood experiences, or unresolved trauma
• A woman navigating "mom life" and constantly feeling like they are falling short
• A college student or young adult facing life transitions or identity shifts
• A woman with ADHD who feels mentally overloaded or emotionally drained
• The “strong one” who is tired of always holding everything together
• A woman or former athlete struggling with pressure, self-worth, or performance-based identity
How Therapy
Can Help You
Therapy Can Help You…
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Feel calmer and more grounded in your daily life
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Understand patterns rooted in stress or past experiences
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Build healthier boundaries and relationships
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Reduce anxiety, overwhelm, and emotional exhaustion
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Reconnect with yourself - your identity, needs, and values
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Process painful experiences safely and at your own pace
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Learn to trust yourself again
Healing doesn’t happen overnight. But meaningful change is possible when you feel open, supported, and understood.
What Therapy Sessions Feel Like
Therapy doesn’t have to feel intimidating, overly clinical, or like you need to have everything figured out before you walk in the door.
Sessions with me are collaborative, supportive, and grounded in safety and trust. Some days may look like processing emotions or past experiences. Other days may focus on coping skills, relationships, boundaries, nervous system regulation, or simply having a space where you no longer have to hold everything together alone.
For some women, therapy becomes the one hour of the week where they can finally exhale. A place to brain dump, untangle overwhelming thoughts, process emotions out loud, or slow down long enough to hear themselves think.
Other women may come in feeling emotionally numb, disconnected, unsure what they need, or uncertain where to even begin—and that’s okay too. You do not need to arrive with the “right” words, a perfect story, or a clear starting point.
We move at a pace that feels comfortable and manageable for you. There is no pressure to share more than you’re ready for.
My goal is to create a space where you feel seen, supported, and emotionally safe enough to begin exploring the parts of yourself that may have been overwhelmed, ignored, or stuck in survival mode for a long time.
What to Expect
Depending on your needs, I incorporate the following approaches or therapeutic modalities:
• EMDR therapy
• Person centered therapy
• Expressive and creative approaches including journaling, writing, drawing, and art based interventions
• Mindfulness, coping skills, and emotional regulation strategies drawn from CBT and DBT
• Nervous system regulation and grounding techniques
She truly listens… like, really listens. You feel heard, not judged. And when you need honesty, she gives it in a way you can actually receive.
Feedback
Anonymous
Areas of Experience
Many women who come to therapy with me have already tried counseling before, received previous diagnoses, or spent years trying to “push through” their struggles on their own. Some are looking for deeper emotional work, trauma processing, nervous system healing, or a therapist who can help connect the dots between their experiences, relationships, emotions, and patterns.
Every person’s story is unique, and diagnoses never define someone’s worth or identity. The labels below are simply tools that can help us better understand patterns, symptoms, and areas of support.
ADHD
ADHD in women is often misunderstood, overlooked, or identified later in life. Many high-achieving women with ADHD spent years masking their struggles, overcompensating, or believing they were simply “bad at life,” lazy, emotional, disorganized, or failing where others seemed to cope more easily.
ADHD can impact:
• Focus and concentration
• Emotional regulation and sensitivity
• Organization and time management
• Motivation and task completion
• Decision fatigue and overwhelm
• Anxiety, burnout, and self-esteem
Many women with undiagnosed ADHD develop anxiety or depression over time because of the constant pressure of trying to keep up, stay organized, manage responsibilities, or meet unrealistic expectations. ADHD rarely exists in isolation, and many individuals also experience anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms, or learning differences alongside it.
I take a compassionate, strengths-based approach to ADHD that focuses not only on symptom management, but also understanding how your brain works, reducing shame, and helping you create systems and coping strategies that actually fit your life.
Anxiety
Anxiety can look different from person to person. Some women experience constant overthinking, racing thoughts, difficulty relaxing, or feeling mentally “on” all the time.
Others may struggle with panic, perfectionism, irritability, difficulty sleeping, people pleasing, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities.
Many high-achieving women become so accustomed to functioning in survival mode that anxiety begins to feel normal. Together, we work to better understand the nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and create healthier ways of coping, resting, and responding to stress.
Depression
Depression is not always obvious from the outside. Many women continue showing up for work, school, relationships, or parenting responsibilities while quietly struggling internally.
Depression may include:
• Emotional numbness or hopelessness
• Low motivation or exhaustion
• Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
• Increased irritability or withdrawal
• Difficulty experiencing joy or fulfillment
• Changes in sleep, appetite, or concentration
Depression can emerge during difficult seasons of life, including grief and loss, postpartum experiences, relationship changes, friendship shifts, major transitions, burnout, or unresolved emotional pain. Therapy provides space to process these experiences with support, compassion, and care.
PTSD & C-PTSD
Trauma is not always a single major event. Sometimes it develops slowly through chronic stress, painful relationships, emotional neglect, unstable environments, bullying, caregiving roles, or years of feeling unsafe, unseen, or emotionally unsupported.
Trauma symptoms may include:
• Anxiety or panic
• Emotional numbness or disconnection
• Hypervigilance or difficulty relaxing
• Relationship struggles or fear of abandonment
• Shame, self-criticism, or low self-worth
• Difficulty trusting yourself or others
• Feeling emotionally “stuck” or overwhelmed
Many symptoms of trauma can overlap with ADHD, anxiety, or depression, which can make things feel confusing or difficult to sort through alone. These experiences are often deeply interconnected, and therapy can help gently explore the underlying patterns contributing to emotional distress.
Personality & Relationship Challenges
Many women who have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder carry deep shame about themselves and their relationships. Often, they have spent years feeling misunderstood, emotionally invalidated, abandoned, or unsupported in important relationships throughout their lives.
I approach BPD through a compassionate, trauma-informed lens. I often see women who learned powerful survival strategies in response to painful experiences, unmet emotional needs, inconsistent caregiving, trauma, or attachment wounds.
Women struggling with BPD symptoms may experience:
• Intense emotions or mood shifts
• Fear of abandonment or rejection
• Relationship instability
• Difficulty feeling emotionally secure or understood
• Chronic shame, emptiness, or self-criticism
• Impulsive coping behaviors during emotional distress
Healing is possible. Therapy can help build emotional regulation, self-understanding, healthier boundaries, self-compassion, and more secure ways of connecting with others.
My goal is to create a space where clients feel safe, respected, and understood — not judged or labeled.
Areas of Experience
Many women who come to therapy with me have already tried counseling before, received previous diagnoses, or spent years trying to “push through” their struggles on their own. Some are looking for deeper emotional work, trauma processing, nervous system healing, or a therapist who can help connect the dots between their experiences, relationships, emotions, and patterns.
Every person’s story is unique, and diagnoses never define someone’s worth or identity. The labels below are simply tools that can help us better understand patterns, symptoms, and areas of support.
Nuerodivergence
ADHD
ADHD in women is often misunderstood, overlooked, or identified later in life. Many women with ADHD spent years masking their struggles, overcompensating, or believing they were simply “bad at life,” lazy, emotional, disorganized, or failing where others seemed to cope more easily.
ADHD can impact:
• Focus and concentration
• Emotional regulation and sensitivity
• Organization and time management
• Motivation and task completion
• Decision fatigue and overwhelm
• Anxiety, burnout, and self-esteem
Many women with undiagnosed ADHD develop anxiety or depression over time because of the constant pressure of trying to keep up, stay organized, manage responsibilities, or meet unrealistic expectations. ADHD rarely exists in isolation, and many individuals also experience anxiety, depression, trauma symptoms, or learning differences alongside it.
I take a compassionate, strengths-based approach to ADHD that focuses not only on symptom management, but also understanding how your brain works, reducing shame, and helping you create systems and coping strategies that actually fit your life.
Mood Shifts
Anxiety
Anxiety can look different from person to person. Some women experience constant overthinking, racing thoughts, difficulty relaxing, or feeling mentally “on” all the time.
Others may struggle with panic, perfectionism, irritability, difficulty sleeping, people pleasing, or feeling emotionally overwhelmed by everyday responsibilities.
Many women become so accustomed to functioning in survival mode that anxiety begins to feel normal. Together, we work to better understand the nervous system, reduce overwhelm, and create healthier ways of coping, resting, and responding to stress.
Depression
Depression is not always obvious from the outside. Many women continue showing up for work, school, relationships, or parenting responsibilities while quietly struggling internally.
Depression may include:
• Emotional numbness or hopelessness
• Low motivation or exhaustion
• Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
• Increased irritability or withdrawal
• Difficulty experiencing joy or fulfillment
• Changes in sleep, appetite, or concentration
Depression can emerge during difficult seasons of life, including grief and loss, postpartum experiences, relationship changes, friendship shifts, major transitions, burnout, or unresolved emotional pain. Therapy provides space to process these experiences with support, compassion, and care.
Trauma Related
PTSD / C-PTSD
Trauma is not always a single major event. Sometimes it develops slowly through chronic stress, painful relationships, emotional neglect, unstable environments, bullying, caregiving roles, or years of feeling unsafe, unseen, or emotionally unsupported.
Trauma symptoms may include:
• Anxiety or panic
• Emotional numbness or disconnection
• Hypervigilance or difficulty relaxing
• Relationship struggles or fear of abandonment
• Shame, self-criticism, or low self-worth
• Difficulty trusting yourself or others
• Feeling emotionally “stuck” or overwhelmed
Many symptoms of trauma can overlap with ADHD, anxiety, or depression, which can make things feel confusing or difficult to sort through alone. These experiences are often deeply interconnected, and therapy can help gently explore the underlying patterns contributing to emotional distress.
Personality & Relationship Challenges
Many women who have been diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder carry deep shame about themselves and their relationships. Often, they have spent years feeling misunderstood, emotionally invalidated, abandoned, or unsupported in important relationships throughout their lives.
I approach BPD through a compassionate, trauma-informed lens. I often see women who learned powerful survival strategies in response to painful experiences, unmet emotional needs, inconsistent caregiving, trauma, or attachment wounds.
Women struggling with BPD symptoms may experience:
• Intense emotions or mood shifts
• Fear of abandonment or rejection
• Relationship instability
• Difficulty feeling emotionally secure or understood
• Chronic shame, emptiness, or self-criticism
• Impulsive coping behaviors during emotional distress
Healing is possible. Therapy can help build emotional regulation, self-understanding, healthier boundaries, self-compassion, and more secure ways of connecting with others.
My goal is to create a space where clients feel safe, respected, and understood — not judged or labeled.
You do not need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. You are allowed to take up space, ask for support, and begin exactly where you are.
Healing is possible
What Healing Can Look Like...
I'm not overpromising anything to you, change and healing are hard work.
I can't guarantee change, but I can guarantee I'll work hard with you, I'm hopeful changes can happen for those I work with because I'm in your corner.
Over time, many women begin to experience:
-
Less anxiety and mental overwhelm
-
More clarity and confidence in decisions
-
Healthier boundaries in relationships
-
Feeling more connected to themselves
-
A greater sense of calm, stability, and control
Healing isn’t about becoming someone new…It’s about feeling more like yourself again.
Healing is possible
What Healing Can Look Like
I'm not overpromising anything to you, change and healing are hard work. I can't guarantee change, but can guarantee I'll work hard with you, I'm hopeful changes can happen for those I work with because I'm in your corner.
Over time, many women begin to experience:
-
Less anxiety and mental overwhelm
-
More clarity and confidence in decisions
-
Healthier boundaries in relationships
-
Feeling more connected to themselves
-
A greater sense of calm, stability, and control
Healing isn’t about becoming someone new…It’s about feeling more like yourself again.
Ashley Hamby Counseling, PLLC
Ashley Hamby Counseling provides trauma informed therapy for children, teens, and women in North Carolina. Services include EMDR therapy and Play Therapy for children and adolescents in Mount Airy and throughout Surry County, as well as virtual EMDR therapy statewide for women navigating anxiety, overwhelm, ADHD, trauma, relationship challenges, burnout, and life transitions including college, career, and early adulthood.
Ashley Hamby Counseling PLLC
1427 Edgewood Drive
Mt. Airy, NC 27030
In-Person or Online/Telehealth
Phone: (336) 756-7258
Email: hello@ashleyhambycounseling.com
Fax: (336) 738-1435
