VERUS COUNSELING
True. Real. Genuine.
EMDR THERAPY IN DALLAS WITH A TRAUMA, DISSOCIATION, ADDICTION, AND LGBTQ+ COMPETENT THERAPIST
Ashley Klein, MS, LPC, LCDC, NCC, EMDR-Certified
Hi there! My name is Ashley. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (#83624), Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor (#12250), and National Certified Counselor (#1143275) in Dallas, Texas with over 13 years of experience. I am passionate about providing trauma-focused, culturally competent mental health care to clients of all identities. I specialize in treating trauma, PTSD/complex PTSD, dissociative disorders, and addiction. Often, my clients have tried therapy before, but they haven’t reached their mental health goals and would like to continue to work with a therapist. They feel stuck in their symptoms, which hold them back from enjoying comfort in their daily lives. These symptoms could include panic attacks, dissociative episodes, anxiety, depression, feeling disconnected from loved ones, or waves of sadness, all of which can lead to unhealthy self-medication.
Combined with in-depth personal experience, I practice an evidence-based therapy modality called Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). This therapy modality helps the brain process through painful memories and place those memories in the past. This opens up the client’s mind to feeling more in the present moment. EMDR can be used successfully with a variety of issues and concerns. I also utilize Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients grow their coping skills. This could include deep breathing, distractions, and perspective-taking in moments of distress. Clients learn how to be more mindful in their minds and bodies. This mindfulness can be a helpful grounder and keep them from reliving difficult memories or dwelling on their symptoms. I am also trained in a number of other modalities including Attachment Based Therapy, Sensorimotor Therapy, Polyvagal Therapy, Ego State/ Parts Work Therapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT, and Motivational Interviewing.
I earned a Master’s degree in Professional Mental Health Counseling from an accredited program at Grand Canyon University. I am an EMDRIA certified EMDR therapist. I am a member of the American Counseling Association, EMDR International Association, International Society for the Study of Trauma and Dissociation, and Texas Counseling Association.
I strive to be an empathetic, kind therapist who makes every client feel welcome and respected. I want my clients to feel present and engaged in their lives once more. I believe our minds and bodies are capable of healing and growth with the right environment, tools and support.
I am so happy you have taken this first step! Take the next step and set up a free 15-minute consultation. You can decide if you want to work with me and if we are a good fit. I look forward to meeting you!
SPECIALTIES
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy
Have you been to therapy before and feel like there's just still something "there?" Your experience, whether it be a specific trauma, childhood abuse, addiction, first responder trauma, or a pervasive feeling of anxiety and depression, has kept you from living your best life. You may have started and stopped therapy before, and maybe feel a little better with talk therapy, but have this feeling deep inside that something just still isn't right.
You want to stop thinking about what happened to you. People keep telling you that you should be over it by now and that’s just not true for you. When you look in the mirror you often wonder who that person is. You can’t connect to your body and when you do you feel an overwhelming sense of panic and the need to run away as fast as you can.
You don’t have to live like this anymore. The pain doesn’t have to stop you from moving forward.
That’s where I come in. I help people by using EMDR to work on what has been stalling your path forward. Through the use of EMDR I see people reduce flashbacks, have better emotional regulation, have better interactions in their relationships, and gain an increased sense of self esteem and self confidence.
Interested in learning more about EMDR therapy? Click HERE!
Or, if you're ready to get started, click HERE to be linked to my client portal to schedule a consultation or session!
Addiction Focused EMDR Therapy
You tell yourself every day that today will be different, or tomorrow will be better, but somehow know inside that nothing will change. You are so, so tired but keep going back to that drink or drug. You ask yourself, "What's wrong with me? Why can't I just stop? Why hasn't treatment, twelve-step groups, medication or counseling helped me yet? Is it just me?"
You want to be free and have a life without drugs or alcohol. You want to wake up and not have that be the first thing you think about. You are tired of numbing your pain and memories, but are terrified of what may happen without it.
Sometimes addiction is rooted with a traumatic experience, or a lifetime of traumatic experiences. Other times it may be due to something else; but either way it's getting in the way of your goals and dreams. Using Addiction-Focused EMDR can be another tool in your recovery box to help address the root cause of your addiction. Through specialized EMDR protocols, such as DeTur, I can help bring relief. Through the use of Addiction-Focused EMDR, clients see a reduction in cravings, better emotional regulation, stronger relationships, and longer clean times.
Click HERE to be linked to my client portal to schedule a consultation or session!
First Responders & Military
Serving as a first responder or in the military is unique in many ways. Whether you work from a squad car, fire truck, ambulance, hospital, back at the station, or for our Nation, you make life-altering decisions every day. Your decisions could change not only your life but others as well. Now, more than ever, the pressure is on for you to do your job by the book and it can be a strain on your life.
What happens when you go home at night and the day is over? You know there will always be more to do. Thoughts of another call or another emergency create a never-ending chain of stressful thoughts and sleepless nights. Are you able to separate work and home? When you first start out it is exciting work and you get to help people, which makes you proud and happy to serve. Then you start to notice changes. Often, your friends or family notice before you do. Sometimes they are the ones who tell you that you’ve changed, or that you seem a little off. It’s the smaller things that you too start to notice. You’re irritable, you're quick to anger, or you can never seem to relax, so you distance yourself from the people who are important to you. Recurring dreams of past incidents come to mind at the worst moments. You can’t pinpoint why or when this started, but now all you want is to make it stop.
That’s where I come in. You will work with someone who understands the uniqueness of serving as a first responder or as someone who serves our Country; someone you don’t have to explain everything to or edit yourself with. You can talk to someone who has the professional experience to help you figure out a plan to get back to tackling anything that comes your way, whether on the job or at home. Don’t keep bottling this up, hoping it gets better on its own. Know that it’s okay to reach out for professional support.
Click HERE to be linked to my client portal to schedule a consultation or session!
Trauma & Dissociation
You feel as though you are floating through life, watching as someone else is going about your daily activities. You feel disconnected from yourself, other people and your environment. Other times you feel too much and are flooded with sensations you don't understand, bits of memories that feel like they aren't yours, urges that come from out of nowhere and feelings that are confusing. You just know you want all this to stop. You want to be happy and present, and want the pain to go away.
Trauma is full of painful memories, feelings and body sensations, and any number of things can trigger those. It's natural for us to not want to feel or remember what happened. This can result in dissociation where we "check out" to varying degrees. This however can make it difficult to live our lives, engage in meaningful relationships, succeed in our jobs, and even participate in therapy.
If you have been diagnosed with a dissociative disorder, or suspect you may have one, I'm your gal!
Click HERE to be linked to my client portal to schedule a consultation or session!
SCHEDULE A SESSION OR FREE CONSULTATION
401-753-8972
ashley_klein@veruscounseling.org
Fees: Free 15-minute consultation/ $150 per 60-minute session/ $175 for initial session/ $200 per 90-minute session/ $200 per 60-minute couples session