Ashley Morgan Soukup, MA, LMFT

With over 15 years of experience in working with children, adolescents, adults and families, Ashley is excited to introduce Be. Emotional Health as an outpatient therapeutic practice that focuses on the importance of connection. After graduating with her MA in Clinical Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Marriage and Family Therapy from LaSalle University in 2010, Ashley had a goal to provide high quality mental health and educational support services to the Richmond community. Whether she is working with a young child, teen, adult, couple, or even an entire family, the therapeutic process is most successful with the client feels they are connected to a clinician that values them for who they are and assists them in identifying and nurturing their strengths.

Ashley utilizes experiential engagement techniques and a direct therapeutic approach to working with individuals and families. She is strength-based and action-oriented in her style which means that she focuses on building confidence within her clients while identifying action steps to help her clients and families get to where they want to be. Their goals are their own and Ashley values being part of the therapeutic process. She enjoys working with individuals of all ages who struggle with anxiety or depression, emotional and behavioral challenges, substance use concerns and everyday life issues that impact a family. She specializes in working with children and adolescents with ADHD and values the importance of collaboration with the entire family and educational support team to develop executive functioning interventions and strategies that will help the child feel successful at home, school and in the community.

In addition, Ashley has extensive expertise in working with individuals of all ages who have experience acute and complex trauma, and grief and loss. Ashley is trained in Trauma Art Narrative Therapy (TANT) and Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT), and often uses experiential writing techniques to assist the individual in understanding their emotional experiences related to the traumatic event. Most importantly, Ashley works to help individuals who have experienced acute and complex trauma believe that it is something that has happened to them but not who they are.

In conjunction with Ashley’s private practice work, she has had the privilege of serving as a part-time middle school counselor at St. Christopher’s School in Richmond, VA. This work has solidified her belief in the correlation between emotional health and academic success for children and adolescents. All children want to do well academically and if they are confident in their abilities and have a strong support system then they are more likely to succeed. This is why proactive therapeutic support is beneficial to young people as it provides the skills needed to develop self confidence and resilience.

When Ashley is not providing therapy to the Richmond community, she is spending time with her husband and two energetic boys! Whether they are hiking and fishing, cheering on their favorite sports teams, or at one of many sports practices, Ashley is most happy when she is present in the moment and engaged in the community with her friends and family.