Meet Ashley DUChene, LMFT
Hi, I’m Ashley DuChene (pronounced “du-shane”), a therapist for teens and adults who gets what it means to hold a lot at once.
If you’re the one who looks fine on the outside but feels maxed out on the inside, you’re in the right place.
I work with teens and adults who are ready to stop over-functioning and start feeling more grounded, clear, and steady in their own skin. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, trauma, or just a sense that something’s off, we’ll find a rhythm and depth that feels doable and real.
How I Work
I bring calm, warmth, and genuine presence to the room, along with strong clinical skill and a little humor when it fits. Therapy with me is thoughtful and practical, never performative. We’ll get curious about your patterns, make sense of what’s driving them, and work with tools like EMDR, Brainspotting, Schema Therapy, and CBT to create real traction. Some clients come weekly. Others prefer longer sessions or short-term intensives. Either way, we’ll figure out what’s right for you.
What I Bring to the Work
Before private practice, I worked in schools, grief counseling, and a trauma treatment center, supporting people through everything from daily stress to life-shifting pain.
Outside of psychotherapy, I’ve spent 20 years running a professional photography business rooted in creativity and working closely with people. That work has trained my eye for emotion, pattern, and unspoken dynamics, and it’s also kept me connected to real-world pressure, responsibility, and leadership. I often work with people in meaningful, vulnerable moments, and that perspective shapes how I notice, track, and respond to what’s happening in the therapy room.
What It’s Like to Work With Me
While your therapy will be individualized, clients have consistently described similar themes about how therapy feels with me. I pulled the patterns below from years of client feedback, often shared through notes, messages, and follow-ups. At times, colleagues and supervisors have echoed these same themes.
You can expect a therapist who is warm and grounded, creative, direct, and genuinely engaged, with a style that can be light and playful when it helps, and serious when it needs to be.
- You’ll get the real me. Clients often describe me as authentic. I’m warm, engaged, and honest, and you won’t have to pretend here.
- You’ll feel at ease quickly. This is a nonjudgmental space where you can exhale and be yourself.
- You’ll feel deeply understood. I’m attuned to patterns, emotions, and body cues, and I’ll reflect back what I’m noticing in a way that helps things click.
- You’ll get warmth and direction. Sessions are relational and human, while still intentional and clinically grounded.
- The approach is consistent; the plan is personal. We’ll choose tools, pacing, and focus based on what fits you, never a one-size-fits-all script.
- You’ll build change that shows up in real life. More steadiness, more clarity, less reactivity, and more follow-through between sessions.
- You’ll have steady support through hard seasons. We’ll reality-check, regulate, and stay anchored, especially during stress, grief, or big transitions.
- You’ll experience a collaborative, down-to-earth relationship. There’s room for humor, creativity, and being fully human, while staying focused on meaningful progress.
Let’s Talk
If you’re ready to do something different, even if you’re not sure what that looks like yet, I’d love to meet you.
Warmly,
Ashley DuChene, MA, LMFT
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, CA License No. 140240