WELCOME
You're feeling overwhelmed and the things you've been trying just aren't making you feel any better.
The reason why it hasn't worked isn't because there's something wrong with you but rather it's that the story you tell yourself about the problem.
The story simply needs to be rewritten.
At Blue Sage Counseling and Wellness we use a holistic approach focused on the connection of mind and body that helps you to separate yourself from your story, learn the healing power of REAL connection, and how to get your life back so you can feel like yourself again.
YOU MAY BE FEELING:
Tense/stressed
Jittery
Overwhelmed
Panicky
Helpless
Unmotivated
Hopeless
Irritable/angry
Misunderstood
Stuck
YOU MAY BE EXPERIENCING:
Uncertainty/fear about the future
Difficulty in your relationships
Trouble sleeping
Changes in your eating habits and/or weight
Disruption in your exercise routine
Disconnection from others
A lack of purpose or direction and desiring something more for yourself
A desire to go the natural route (minimize, eliminate, or avoid use of mental health medications)
SOUND FAMILIAR?
WE'LL HELP YOU:
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Increase feelings of self-worth
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Enhance the quality of your relationships
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Get to the root of the problem to make peace with it once and for all
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Match career choices with personality and values
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Get along better with your family
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Emotionally cope with the effects of chronic pain and/or medical conditions (autoimmune)/cope with medical trauma
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Manage sadness and worry about the future
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Teach you the language to use to set better boundaries
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Explore other levels of consciousness to help you make meaning of your problems and heal yourself
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Help you to recognize your unhelpful patterns and how to break them
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Manage mood and behavior change associated with hormone fluctuations
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Create routine and/or rituals to develop healthy habits
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Establish and maintain self-discipline
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Regain motivation
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Understand and/or change your relationship with money
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Restore your confidence and ability to bounce back
MEET ASHLEY
I'm Ashley Francis and I have been a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in Charlotte, NC for the past fifteen years. I became a mental health therapist because I believe that all humans are deserving of love, connection, acceptance, and belonging.
The more digitally connected we become, the more more socially distanced we feel. I believe that self-criticism and isolation are the modern pandemic. You feel lonely, hopeless, and not good enough but you still have a shred of hope that it can get better.
I teach people how to love themselves and one another because I believe that healing only happens in relationship.I believe that the reason why you're suffering is simply due to an inability to distinguish yourself from your problems.
I believe that you already have what it takes to heal yourself and it's just a matter of learning the skills to access them. Let me show you how to do it.
“My experience with Ashley has been literally life changing. I was at the lowest point when I began seeing her. Through time, effort, communication, and tremendous support she helped me out of the darkness and back into the light. My life will forever be better for having spent time with her. Her warm, inviting and open spirit allowed me to open up to her easily. She’s fantastic!”
- JB
“Ashley is a well-rounded professional offering a wide variety of options of care and alternative therapies. I would highly recommend Ashley’s counseling and wellness initiatives to anyone in search of insightful care and personalized counseling.”
- CC
"Ashley Francis at Blue Sage Counseling has been instrumental in my daughter's healing process. She is warm and engaging; treating each client with respect and compassion. She is not afraid to make tough decisions in regards to patient mental health, but is there to guide you through every step. Our family could not have asked for a better person to see us through one of the most difficult periods in our lives! We will be forever grateful."
- TM
A HOLISTIC
APPROACH
Blue Sage Counseling and Wellness is Charlotte's premier holistic psychotherapy practice that specializes in the individual drug-free treatment of anxiety, depression, and trauma in adults.
Most BSCW clients seek our services because they:
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Believe that in order to feel better there is more required than simply popping a pill.
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Are motivated to do the work in therapy that may allow them to rely less on mental health medications or simply choose not to use them altogether
However, there is no shame in the use of mental health medication(s) to make you feel better...in fact, some lives literally depend on it.
Always consult with your physician before starting or stopping mental health medications and to determine if medication is right for you, results vary based on the needs of the client.
OUR PROCESS:
Note: Time in each phase will vary from client to the client. Treatment is complete when you feel complete. We go at a pace that YOU feel comfortable with.
FOUNDATIONS PHASE:
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You gain trust with your therapist and ease into the process
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We gather information about what's going in with you more in depth at a pace that feels comfortable for you
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Create trust and safety before digging into deeper issues
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Develop a treatment plan with crystal clear goals and determine an approximate time in treatment (most clients make substantial progress in 3 months)
WORKING PHASE:
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Start exploring the issues more in depth
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Learn coping strategies to practice in between sessions
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Develop strengths and resources to guide your progress
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Session structure - it's not uncommon to not know what to talk about or where to start from one week to the next. Don't worry! This is when we refer back to the treatment plan to guide the session. Your therapist may also have some ideas but remember YOU are always in the driver seat!
MAINTENANCE:
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Congratulations! Your hard work has paid off and you now feel more calm, peaceful, and have the confidence to handle things more on your own
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Sessions are used to check in, troubleshoot any problems you're having, and provide accountability for your progress
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Most clients attend monthly to maintain the rewards of their hard work. Others discharge and return when they feel they need more support.
OUR STRATEGIES INCLUDE:
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Talk therapy (i.e. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT, Family Systems, etc)
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Therapeutic Journaling/Writing
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Meditation/Mindfulness Practices
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Exploration of your relationship with food, eating, and body image
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Breathing exercises
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Experiential exercises designed to help you view the problem from a new perspective
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Spiritual guidance and Inner Child Work
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
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Value/Worth work - setting and enforcing boundaries
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Learning how to reduce toxins from your environment
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Role play
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Accountability: resources to keep you on track
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Family Work
