Therapy for Teens & Adults in Carlsbad, CA
You've held it together for everyone else.
This is the space where you don't have to.
Trauma, anxiety, EMDR, Brainspotting, and therapy intensives. In person, in Carlsbad.
Book a Free ConsultationStarts with a free 15-minute phone call. No pressure, no commitment.
What would it feel like to finally show up for yourself?
Have you ever looked at someone close to you and thought: I wish they would talk to someone? A spouse. A parent. A coworker. Someone who's clearly struggling, and it's hard to watch.
Now ask yourself the same question. What about you?
And here's something worth sitting with: the people you love get a better version of you when you do this work. More regulated. More present. More able to love freely. Therapy isn't selfish. It's one of the most generous things you can do for the people who matter to you.
What Therapy Feels Like Here
What I've found, working with clients over the years, is that understanding something isn't always enough to change it. You can have real clarity about a pattern and still find yourself repeating it. That's not a character flaw. It's a sign that the work needs to happen somewhere deeper than insight alone.
I believe therapy should give you more than a place to talk. I want you to understand yourself better, recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and leave with tools you actually know how to use.
A place where you can be yourself.
You don't have to have it figured out, know exactly what to say, or pretend you're doing better than you are. You can show up exactly as you are. That kind of honesty is actually where the work begins.
Real conversations, not just nodding.
Therapy here is interactive. I'll ask questions, share observations, offer a different angle when it's useful, and sometimes push back gently when it's warranted. You won't be left doing all the talking while I quietly take notes. And I'll hold you to what you said you wanted, even when it gets uncomfortable.
Understanding the why behind your patterns.
We'll get curious about why certain situations, relationships, or emotions affect you the way they do. Patterns that feel frustrating or confusing today usually made sense at some earlier point in your life. When you understand where they came from, they stop feeling like character flaws and start feeling like something you can actually work with.
Warm, but also intentional.
Sessions aren't just a place to vent, though that has its place too. We'll move at a pace that feels manageable, and I'll help keep us oriented toward what you actually came here to work on.
Processing what the mind alone can't reach.
Understanding a problem intellectually is a start, but it's rarely enough to change how it feels in your body. Depending on what you're working through, we may use EMDR, Brainspotting, Narrative Therapy, or other approaches to process experiences that still affect you.
Getting curious about your impact on others.
Sometimes we'll gently explore how your patterns show up in your relationships. Not to assign blame, but because understanding how you land with the people you love is one of the most useful things therapy can offer. Clients often find that the tools they build here start showing up in their closest relationships in ways they didn't expect.
Progress that carries outside this room.
I don't just want you to feel better in my office. I want you to feel more capable in your everyday life. The goal isn't to become someone who never feels anxious or overwhelmed. It's to develop a healthier relationship with yourself and notice real changes in how you feel and function over time.
The only thing you need to bring is a willingness to be honest, with me and with yourself. Everything else we figure out together.
What Sessions Look Like
Sessions are primarily in person at my Carlsbad office. I offer two formats: 50-minute sessions weekly, or 100-minute sessions every other week.
50-Minute Session
The traditional therapy hour
Weekly sessions that build steady momentum over time. A good fit if you want consistent, regular support and prefer shorter, more frequent check-ins.
100-Minute Session
The format most of my clients choose. Meeting every other week for a longer, more focused session means we can go deeper and cover more ground. Especially well-suited for trauma-focused work like EMDR or Brainspotting.
Not sure which format is right for you? We'll figure it out together during your free consultation call. And if you're wondering whether this is the right level of care, whether a higher level of support might be a better fit, or whether a different type of therapy or another therapist would serve you better, that's worth talking through too. I'm happy to help you think it through and point you in the right direction.
See Session Fees
Why In-Person Still Matters
Real presence changes what's possible in the room.
Deeper attunement.
I can track what's happening in your body, not just your words. That's harder to do through a screen.
Better results with trauma work.
EMDR and Brainspotting work best in person. The equipment, the space, and the presence all matter.
Something a Zoom call can't replicate.
Healing doesn't have to be heavy every minute. There's something about laughing with someone in person that a Zoom call just can't replicate. It's part of how this works.
The space itself.
There's a private reception room where you can settle in before we start. Inside, you'll find a comfy couch, a fidget or two, and a room that's meant to feel like a place to exhale the moment you walk in.
My Carlsbad office is a calm, distraction-free space designed for presence, clarity, and real connection. 1207 Carlsbad Village Blvd. STE H Carlsbad, CA 92008
The Neighborhood
The office is in Colony Carlsbad, just east of Interstate 5 area of Carlsbad Village Drive. If you're bringing someone along, or want to decompress before or after a session, there's plenty to do within walking distance and short driving distance.
Dining on property
Two restaurants right in the building next door. Mantra Raja (Thai) and El Tejate are both steps away, perfect for a meal before or after.
Close to Carlsbad Village
The library, city hall, cafes, and shops are all visible from the building.
Close to the coast
The office is just east of the I-5, so the beach is a short drive rather than a walk. Worth the few extra minutes if you want to decompress after a session.
Easy to get to, easy parking
Right off the I-5 with easy parking. Whether you're coming from Encinitas, Oceanside, or further out, it's a straightforward drive.
Ashley DuChene, LMFT
You Show Up For Everyone Else. What would it feel like to finally show up for yourself?
You've read about the work, the approach, and what sessions look like. If any of it resonated, that feeling is worth paying attention to. The first step is just a conversation.
Book a Free Consultation
You are allowed to be both a work in progress and a masterpiece simultaneously.Yung Pueblo