Ash Arens, MS, CSW

Well hello there! I'm Ash (pronouns: they/them) and I am a Clinical Social Work Candidate newly joining Reflective Wellness: Mind and Body. I'm also an herbalist, community organizer, gardener and nerd - which makes its way into my therapeutic work regularly! My passion and background include working with individuals who have experienced trauma, are part of the LGBTQ+ community, or folks who are "too self-aware" for therapy. With over a decade of experience working in local non-profits, I am excited to be bringing my skill set and passion into individual and group sessions.

I am a firm believer that you are the expert of your own life, and I aim to bring safety and connection to the therapeutic relationship so you might explore yourself and your inner landscape. I love working with people who are looking to: navigate and integrate trauma, reduce distressing or dysregulating patterns, and improve their quality of life. I utilize many different modalities and techniques to support these goals, and love integrating more bottom-up processing and somatic work when talking and traditional top-down processing feel stagnant or stalled. I take a strengths-based, trauma-informed and anti-oppressive approach to my work with adolescents and adults. I focus on supporting the mind, body and spirit, honoring and recognizing the ways that these different aspects of ourselves are impacted by trauma, nervous system dysregulation, and ongoing stress or oppression. My therapeutic approach doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of our lives, pasts or world. It also doesn't shy away from the joy and wonder either.

With in-person and remote options, my hope is that your therapy experience is flexible and able to meet your needs on a given day. Whether we're sitting in the office or stepping into nature, processing through metaphor and story, or utilizing regulating activities like making and brewing a supportive herbal tea - we'll be working towards your goals together. If that sounds like something you might want to explore, let's connect and see if we might be a good fit for what you're looking for in therapy.