Ashley O’Dell
they/them/she/her
AREAS OF CLINICAL INTEREST
PTSD and the impact of trauma on the body and mind
Somatic therapy
Gender identity
Suicide loss & grief
Self-injury
Mindfulness
Suicidality
Social justice
EMDR therapy
Artists’ mental health
Ashley is dedicated to providing affirmative care and has a passion for working with those healing from trauma. In their work, informed by somatic therapy and the nervous system, Ashley strives to honor the ways in which our emotions and actions work to keep us safe; while also exploring how they may be disconnecting us from who and what we care about. Sessions with Ashley are often experiential, with an emphasis on present moment awareness and skill-building; they also offer EMDR. Ashley has a deep respect for those who show up and do the work of therapy and prioritizes curiosity, collaboration, and social justice work, all without shying away from humor and celebrating joy.
Ashley earned their master’s degree in social work from Simmons University in 2021, after training in the Dual-Diagnosis Partial Hospital Program at Brigham and Women’s Faulkner Hospital and the Counseling and Wellness Center at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. In their therapeutic practice, they approach the work eclectically, drawing on approaches popularized in DBT, ACT, EMDR, Motivational Interviewing, and CBT—with the recognition that many of these modalities borrow from cultural and spiritual traditions that have been practiced for millennia around the world.
Prior to social work, Ashley trained as a fine artist, earning their Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2005, and worked as a professional photographer and business owner for 16 years. They are also dedicated to supporting suicide loss survivors through their volunteer work on the Grief Support Services team at Samaritans.
