Ashley Evans Therapy

Home
United States
Dallas, TX
Ashley Evans Therapy

I help others heal from trauma and relationship wounds in order to move forward. LPC - Licensed Profe

*In person Dallas office visits available May 2021

*Continuing telehealth for those clients who wish to stay virtual .

06/24/2023

Self-care is essential on our path to trauma healing. Today, we focus on nurturing ourselves through self-care practices. Engaging in activities like meditation, yoga, journaling, or spending time in nature can help calm our minds and promote emotional well-being. Remember, self-care is not selfish; it is an act of self-compassion and healing. Let's prioritize our well-being together.

"

06/23/2023

Resilience is the strength that helps us navigate through life's challenges, including trauma. Today, let's explore the power of resilience and discover strategies to cultivate it within ourselves.

Through self-reflection, positive affirmations, and seeking support, we can develop the resilience needed to overcome adversity and thrive. Together, we can rise stronger than ever.

"

06/22/2023

Trauma refers to a deeply distressing or disturbing event or experience that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope. It can have long-lasting effects on a person's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Traumatic events are often perceived as life-threatening, causing individuals to feel intense fear, helplessness, or horror.

There are different types or forms of trauma, including:

Acute Trauma: This type of trauma refers to a single traumatic event, such as an accident, assault, or natural disaster. Acute trauma is typically time-limited, and while it can have a significant impact, individuals may recover with appropriate support.

Chronic Trauma: Chronic trauma involves prolonged and repeated exposure to traumatic events, such as ongoing physical or emotional abuse, neglect, or living in a war zone. It can have severe and cumulative effects, leading to complex trauma.

Complex Trauma: Complex trauma occurs when an individual experiences multiple traumas, often starting in childhood, and is typically associated with prolonged and interpersonal abuse or neglect. It can result in significant disruptions in a person's development and can affect various aspects of their life.

Secondary Trauma: Also known as vicarious trauma, secondary trauma refers to the indirect exposure to trauma through witnessing or hearing about traumatic events experienced by others, such as first responders, healthcare providers, or therapists. It can impact individuals who are regularly exposed to others' traumatic experiences.

Trauma can have profound effects on someone's life, impacting them emotionally, cognitively, behaviorally, and physiologically. Some common effects of trauma include:

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Many individuals who experience trauma may develop PTSD, a mental health condition characterized by intrusive thoughts, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance behaviors, and heightened anxiety or arousal.

Emotional and Psychological Impact: Trauma can lead to emotional difficulties such as intense fear, anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, shame, and a sense of helplessness. It may also affect self-esteem, self-worth, and the ability to trust others.

Cognitive Impact: Trauma can affect cognitive functioning, leading to difficulties with concentration, memory, decision-making, and problem-solving. It may also result in negative beliefs about oneself, others, and the world, as well as distorted thinking patterns.

Behavioral Impact: Trauma can influence an individual's behavior, leading to avoidance of reminders of the trauma, social withdrawal, substance abuse, self-destructive behaviors, or difficulties in relationships.

Physical Impact: Trauma can have physical consequences, including sleep disturbances, chronic pain, increased vulnerability to physical illnesses, and changes in appetite or weight.

04/04/2023

Four significant mind modulators good for our mental health are exercise, food, therapy, and medication. The gut-brain axis is like a superhighway of information traveling back and forth between the gut and brain. When we are in a high stress state, the nervous system dysregulation affects us both physically and mentally, impairing our ability to digest or absorb adequate nutrients and sends signals of distress down to our very cells.

One of the first things I recommend to all my clients is that they take a good probiotic. Having a healthy gut microbiome is important for gut and mental health. Sugars, carbs, antibiotics and toxic inflammation wreak havoc on our minds and bodies.

03/24/2023

The most productive thing you can do is take care of yourself. Does this mean that we treat ourselves to bubble baths and naps? Well, sometimes. But sometimes the most productive thing we can do is to eat healthy, to exercise, to take a break, to have a hard conversation. Sometimes taking care of ourselves is protecting our energy or adhering to boundaries. Sometimes it's making ourselves step outside of our comfort zone.

What constitutes self care for you?

For me, self care is about protecting my energy by eliminating or reducing my time with those who drain me or cause drama. One of the benefits of this has been that it has made it easier for me to identify those people and behaviors that deplete me and over time it has greatly reduced unnecessary negative energy.
It has also helped me to establish and uphold boundaries. This one change has been so helpful!

03/23/2023

This post is quoted from "How to Do the Work" by Dr. Nicole LePera. Once we are aware of how our nervous system has been conditioned over the years to respond to triggers and situations in our environment, we can begin to have awareness of our own internal reactivity. When we realize that our reactions and behaviors are about a dysregulated nervous system, we can then pay attention to the physical cues that alert us that something is amiss. Does your heart begin to race every time you encounter your new boss? Do you shut down when your partner brings up tough subjects? We are products of our environment and the conditioning we receive in childhood imprints patterns that last throughout our lifetimes if we don't become consciously aware. Pay attention to what your body is telling you and then ask yourself if you are reacting to what is currently happening or if are you reacting to something from long ago. Awareness is key.

03/22/2023

Affirmations are simple and effective tools which can be helpful as a quick go-to when you find yourself struggling. Listen to the way you talk to and about yourself. Remember the old saying, "Garbage in, garbage out"? Speak to yourself as if you are someone you cherish. Your relationship with yourself is the most important one you have.

Which affirmations resonate with you?

03/19/2023

Don't believe everything you think.

03/18/2023

Research continues to prove what our parents have been telling us all along. Our food choices really do matter. With the explosion of research focused on the gut microbiome and its system-wide effects on the rest of our body and most especially, our mental health, if you suffer from anxiety or depression then it's time to pay attention to your diet. If you want to supercharge your mental health, pay attention to what you put in your body and get moving. Diet and exercise have a significant impact on how you feel.

03/17/2023

Choosing foods that aid brain health is an important step in reclaiming or maintaining mental wellness.

Cocoa and chocolate contain flavanols which is a phytonutrient with anti-inflammatory properties which can potentially protect the brain and improve memory. Flavanols, according to researchers at the French Institute of Health and Medical Research in Paris have found that flavanols can promote new brain cells and trigger positive changes in neurons associated with learning and memory. Researchers at Columbia University found that testing cocoa flavanols on a group of 37 healthy volunteers discovered that after three months of drinking a high-flavanol cocoa drink that subjects performed significantly better on memory tests. Neurologist Scott Small says, "If a participant had the memory of a typical 60 year old at the beginning of the study, after three months that person on average had the memory of a typical 30 or 40 year old."

How's that for good news?

As far as water, even slight dehydration at 1% below required levels, can damage energy and focus!

Blueberries improve brain function and cognitive performance as well as increased brain activity.

Last but not least, seafood can help slow memory loss!

-Adapted from The Complete Guide to Your Brain

03/14/2023

Trippy Tuesdays are our new regular feature to share bits of psychedelic information, research, and news. Whether it's a story on Fox News or research at Johns Hopkins, or testimonials from Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tyson, or Joe Rogan, it's hard to escape news of the new psychedelic renaissance and the revolutionary impact it's on mental health.

What do psychedelics treat?

🦋 Depression
🦋 Anxiety
🦋 OCD
🦋 Addiction
🦋 Compulsive behaviors
🦋 End of life fears
🦋 PTSD

For more info on psychedelics, check out our website at www.ashleyevanstherapy.com/psychedelic-trauma-healing.

03/07/2023

When you find yourself trapped in a cycle of ruminating thoughts about the past or debilitating anxiety about the future, it is easy to become frozen with overwhelm. How do we become un-stuck? We take action. When we practice avoidance by procrastinating, while we may temporarily feel better but our anxiety doesn't go away. In fact, it often increases!

Have you ever delayed getting around to that task you need to do which you has you consumed with dread or worry and then when you actually tackle the chore, you realize you it wasn't so bad after all and you were able to get it done in a much shorter time than you anticipated? Yet maybe you spent countless hours with it floating around in the back of your mind, taking up emotional energy and draining you.

One little trick when you need to get something done is to give yourself 15 minutes to work on the task. Often times once you start, you realize it wasn't such an onerous task after all. You may get in a "flow" state and complete the task but even if you don't finish it, making a dent in the progress which brings a sense of accomplishment can help pave the way to continue the job later. It seems less overwhelming because we have taken action and chipped away a little more towards our end goal.

Another strategy is the five second rule. When you think of something you need to do, follow the impulse immediately and on the count of five, get up and just go do it. Don't give yourself the opportunity to sink back into homeostasis and comfort. Take action!

02/28/2023

Welcome to Trippy Tuesdays where we will be showcasing some psychedelic news or information every Tuesday. The psychedelic revolution is upon us.

#

02/28/2023

Choking under pressure is a common fear whether you're the star of the school play, or presenting a business case. The truth is that 90 % of people handle stressful situations poorly. However, did you know that if you reframe your anxiety into excitement that you might just have an easier time adapting? Research shows that during a public singing contest those who said "I am excited" fared better than those who said "I am anxious" and both of those groups scored better than those who stated "I am calm." Here are some hacks to work with your "excitement".⁠
⁠
🦋 Remain fired up. It's hard to calm down when your body is on high alert. Excitement is an easier state to capture when you feel anxious and your heart rate is up.⁠
⁠
🦋 Distract yourself from self-doubts. Divert your attention away from any critical inner monologue and think of positive mental images or focus on those around you.⁠
⁠
🦋 Focus on the positive. Think about what you have to gain in the situation or helping your audience rather than worrying about forgetting your lines or losing your job.⁠
⁠
🦋 Generate flow. Put aside outcomes for the moment. Lose yourself in the process. Enjoy what you're doing for its own sake.⁠
⁠
🦋 Rename your feelings. Tell yourself you're excited. Your brain will like that better than being anxious.⁠
⁠
🦋 Remember the benefits of anxiety. Anxiety does have a positive side.It motivates us to take action. Without some anxiety, we would have little incentive to work or do anything challenging.⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠

02/27/2023

When we let go of our expectations and worries, we give ourselves the gift of freedom, presence and expansion. When we stay trapped in our fears, we become paralyzed by our own limiting beliefs.⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠

02/27/2023

If you're feeling tired, bored, or depressed, I would ask you if you are adding enough joy to your life? How can you add more joy to your life? Maybe it's not that you're depressed, anxious or bored but that you don't have enough that stimulates or challenges you in positive ways.

Sometimes it's a matter of needing to add more ___________(family time, "me time", couple time, creativity, music, hobbies, friends, meaning, cause, fellowship, etc.) of something.

Sometimes it is a matter of taking something away to add more joy. Less drama, less negativity, less unnecessary stress.

02/13/2023

Each day, the choice is yours.⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠
⁠

02/12/2023

What would it take for you to step into a different mindset? When we are feeling down, anxious, or depressed, it can sometimes be difficult to see anything other than the negative side of things. This is also because of something referred to as "negativity bias". This refers to a cognitive bias that even when of equal intensity things of a more negative nature such as unpleasant thoughts, emotions or traumatic/harmful events have a larger psychological impact on us than neutral or positive events. This makes sense because our brain is wired to protect us and always be on the lookout for danger. It is said that for every negative interaction, we need ten positive interactions to offset it. This is also why it is critical how you speak to yourself. Be loving, kind, and grant yourself self-compassion.⁠
⁠
⁠

02/09/2023

⁠
Finding the right therapist for you is important. We are all different and what appeals to one person may not appeal to another. ⁠

02/09/2023

"Whatever we practice over and over, we get good at. If we practice meditation, a musical instrument, drawing, or mindfulness or sports, or if we practice the opposite, such as complaining, criticizing, arguing, or making excuse- whatever you practice and invest hours of mastery into, you will become really skilled at."⁠
⁠
🦋 A daily gratitude list is a great way to be training your brain to "focus on the good". Some days your list may be longer than others, but continue to look for the myriad of things in your life that are worthy of gratitude.⁠
⁠
🦋 Romanticize your life. Notice all the little things that you appreciate about your life. The way the sunlight fills your room in the morning, the first cup of coffee, nature on your daily walk...Sounds silly, but try it!⁠
⁠
🦋 Create small rituals that bring joy. Maybe your Friday evening tradition becomes a homemade charcuterie board and a new book in front of the fire, or join a new book/hiking/running/church group,etc. club or volunteer once a month. Rituals and hobbies may be solo or with a partner but they can spark new interests, create opportunities for connection, and can give meaning and fulfillment when we otherwise feel lacking.⁠
⁠
⁠

02/07/2023

There are many good reasons to go to therapy. However, the work you do between sessions is where the real magic happens.It can be scary to unpack feelings around sensitive subjects and lean into the difficult emotions but remember, we have to "feel it to heal it".⁠

01/28/2023

Hi. I'm Ashley. I'm a trauma-focused therapist who has a few unusual therapy specialties. I focus on helping you learn how to heal from relationship wounds and how to work with both your body and your brain to overcome trauma and. explore those blind spots where you may still be holding yourself back, I also work with clients who desire more intimacy and connection in their relationship, whether it be physical and/or emotional.I also work with clients who struggle with compulsions that keep them from finding true intimacy or who want to rekindle long lost passion, for themselves, for others, or for life.
------------

10/17/2022

Do you have doubts that your relationship is good for you? Look out these 9 signs: http://bit.ly/9signsOfToxic
| www.ashleyevanstherapy.com

09/17/2022

Just because you aren't getting hit, does not mean you're not being abused! bit.ly/nothitabuse

09/16/2022

Can Trauma Really Be 'Stored' In The Body? bit.ly/bodystorestrauma

09/15/2022

Study shows how spirituality can help your . 🧠 http://bit.ly/spiritualitybrainpower

09/14/2022

changed the of people with borderline personality disorder. 🧠Check out what happened: http://bit.ly/borderlinebrains

09/13/2022

You have likely heard of the differences in functions of our right-brain and left-brain. What are their relations to ? http://bit.ly/left-right-trauma

09/12/2022

Do trauma survivors carry their trauma with them for life? http://bit.ly/trauma-truths

Address

8533 Midway Road
Dallas, TX
75209

Website

http://www.ashleyevanstherapy.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Ashley Evans Therapy posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Ashley Evans Therapy:

Videos

Welcome to Trippy Tuesdays where we will be showcasing some psychedelic news or information every Tuesday. The psychedelic revolution is upon us. #psychedelics #psychedelictraumahealing #psychedelicintegration #integrationtherapy #DMT #toadvenom #bufoalvarius #psilocybin #PTSD #depression #anxiety #OCD #addiction #recovery #therapy #therapist #texastherapist #therapistsofinstagram #

The Cutting Edge of Mental Health DMT-assisted Trauma Therapy Weekend Retreat July 22-24 in the Texas Hill Country Safe, effective and powerful therapy for those with major depressive disorder, treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, OCD, addiction, phobias, or end of life anxieties. It is also deeply healing for PTSD/Complex PTSD and severe trauma. What I absolutely love about this therapy though is its ability to: *increase conscientiousness, *increase openness, *increase extraversion, and *decrease neurotic behaviors! As a milestone in your healing journey, join us the weekend of July 22-24. 2022 for a positive and powerful therapeutic healing experience in an upscale setting. We will spend two nights in luxury accommodations set amongst nature in the Texas Hill Country with delicious food/drink, music, and a plant-medicine based psychedelic healing ceremony that will be a gamechanger. Your deep trauma healing will be centered on our "Kiss the Toad" Healing Ceremony and will be accompanied by a licensed therapist and trained plant medicine man who will be by your side in a private, safe, supervised setting to support you every step of the way. Learn why this trauma therapy completely changed my mind about psychedelics. Limited spaces available. To learn more about DMT-assisted therapy visit us at: www.ashleyevanstherapy.com/psychedelic-trauma-healing or call 469-269-0101.

Spaces are filling up! We are looking forward to a weekend of deep trauma healing and mental health renewal. It's time to take action and give yourself the happiness you deserve. If you have treatment-resistant depression, severe anxiety, PTSD/CPTSD, phobias, our DMT-assisted therapy will be an unforgettable milestone in your healing journey. Come alone, come with a partner, come with a group of friends....but there are only so many spots available. A weekend of music, food, nature, healing, and connection. Our pre and post ceremonial therapeutic integration with an experienced medicine man and licensed therapist is included in this 2 night stay in a luxurious and unique setting in the Hill Country with delicious food (and air conditioning available, of course!). Now booking July 22-24, 2022. If you want to learn more about DMT-assisted therapy, check out my website at www.ashleyevanstherapy.com/psychedelic-trauma-healing or call us at 469-269-0101. #therapy #therapist #psychedelic #psychedelichealing #traumahealing #PTSD #depression #anxiety #phobia #OCD #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealth #choosehappy #bufo #bufoalvarius #toadvenom #transfornation #newbeginnings

It's finally here! I'm so excited to introduce Psychedelic Trauma Healing Therapy to my practice. This is truly transformative healing. I will be sharing more, much more, over the coming weeks and months, but wanted to announce what was coming next. Our "Kiss the Toad" Psychedelic Trauma Healing Ceremony and Retreats specialize in bufo alvarius/toad venom/DMT and has expanded to an even better format and location so that you can do everything to maximize the benefits of this revolutionary treatment. This will be an experience you will never forget. I encourage you to check out my website to learn more about the life changing experience that DMT delivers. I will be sharing my own personal experience with you as well. While I was initially skeptical, my research continued to impress me. After three long years of exploration, I decided to take the plunge myself. Needless to say, I was blown away. I could immediately see how this was a gamechanger. If you have treatment resistant depression, PTSD/Complex PTSD, OCD, phobias, addiction, or severe anxiety, then this is for you. A huge tool in the arsenal for disrupting well-embedded patterns of thinking or behaving, the psychedelic acts like a fresh coating of snow over those deep grooves of habit and allows our brain to think in new and different ways. What I love about this treatment is that it's not only for those who are suffering from emotional pain or addiction, but its also a tool for increasing conscientiousness, increasing openness, increasing extraversion, and decreasing neurotic behaviors! More to come! #traumatherapy #traumatherapist #psychedelic #psychedelictherapy #bufo #plantmedicine #soul #spiritual #connection #transformation #lifechanging #goals #dreams #motivation #clarity #increaseconscientiousness #mentalclarity #tribalhealing #tribalhealingtraditions #DMT #toadvenom #toadvenomtexas #therapeutictransformation #renewal #healing #posttraumaticgrowth