Ashley Harmon, LCSW-S, LCDC, EMDR

My calming, supportive, and relational approach creates a space where clients can express their thoughts and feelings openly and without judgment. I believe that therapy works best as a collaborative process. Rather than telling you how your life should look, I will listen to your experiences, help you better understand the patterns affecting you, and work alongside you as you move toward your individual goals. I specialize in working with trauma, including childhood trauma, domestic violence, sexual abuse and assault, relationship trauma, and other distressing or life-altering experiences. I also work with anxiety, depression, eating disorders and body-image concerns, grief, life transitions, perfectionism, and the emotional demands that can accompany high achievement. A significant part of my professional experience has been devoted to working with collegiate and professional athletes. I support current and former athletes with concerns such as sport performance, injury and rehabilitation, anxiety, confidence, perfectionism, burnout, identity, and transitions into or out of sport. In addition to my private practice, I serve as the Director of Clinical Behavioral Health for Intercollegiate Athletics at The University of Texas at Austin. This experience has given me a unique understanding of the mental health and performance-related pressures that can exist within high-level sport. I am an EMDR Certified therapist and have used EMDR to address childhood and chronic trauma, sexual and physical assault, car accidents and carjackings, medical trauma, sport injury, concussions, and barriers affecting performance. My overall approach is client-centered, strengths-based, and tailored to the individual. Depending on your needs, our work may include EMDR, cognitive and behavioral strategies, mindfulness, practical coping skills, and deeper exploration of the experiences underlying current concerns. I know that therapy can be challenging and, at times, emotionally draining. Some skills may provide relief or support fairly quickly, while deeper and more lasting change often requires time, trust, and a willingness to explore difficult experiences. You will not be expected to do that work alone. I am here to work alongside you as an equal partner and team member while respecting your autonomy, strengths, and right to decide how you want your life to look. This is and will always be a judgment-free space. "Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." ― Albus Dumbledore