Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlyn Wall-Gonzales.
Hi Ashlyn, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into counseling has been shaped by my own life experiences, my faith, and a desire to help people shift from just surviving to thriving. As a trauma survivor myself, wife and mother; I know how difficult it can be to show up as our best selves for the people who depend on us. Those experiences have influenced both the work I do, the kind of practice I want to build and the population I feel called to serve.
I earned my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in December 2024 and founded Abide in the Vine Counseling, PLLC, here in Texas in 2025. My vision was to create a space where people could bring their whole selves (their past trauma, struggles, relationships, questions, and faith) to a space where they are seen, held and most importantly safe.
Over time, my work has increasingly focused on complex trauma, attachment, and helping clients understand patterns that once helped them survive but may now be keeping them stuck. I’ve continued investing in training, including EMDR, to deepen the support I can offer. For clients who want it, I also incorporate Christian faith into the counseling process to integrate the healing of mind, body and soul.
Today, I’m working toward expanding the practice and bringing on other clinicians who share that heart for compassionate, thoughtful care. Building a business while raising a family has stretched me, and I’m still learning how to balance growth with sustainability. Throughout it all, my purpose remains the same: helping people find healing, reconnect with themselves, and move forward with greater hope.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been balancing the roles of counselor, business owner, wife, and mother. When you care deeply about helping others, it can be easy to overextend yourself. I’ve had to learn that caring for people also requires boundaries and being honest about my own capacity.
The business side has brought its own learning curve, from navigating insurance credentialing and administrative requirements to figuring out how to make quality counseling accessible while keeping the practice financially sustainable. There is a lot of work behind the scenes that people don’t necessarily see.
I’ve also had to work through the pressure to have everything figured out before taking the next step. Building this practice has taught me to ask for support, make adjustments, and move forward even when things feel uncertain. My faith has been an anchor through that process.
I’m still learning, but those challenges have helped clarify the kind of practice I want to build: one where both clients and clinicians feel supported, and where growth doesn’t come at the expense of well-being.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m the head counselor and the founder of Abide in the Vine Counseling, PLLC, a virtual Texas-based practice offering compassionate, trauma-informed care. My work focuses on helping people navigate trauma, anxiety, relationship struggles, and difficult patterns that leave them feeling overwhelmed or disconnected from themselves.
Trauma-informed care shapes how I approach the entire counseling relationship. I consider how someone’s experiences have influenced their sense of safety, beliefs, relationships, and ways of coping. I prioritize trust, collaboration, and choice, allowing clients to move at a pace that respects their readiness.
My approach is eclectic and integrative because each person is impacted by their experiences different and bring a different history, set of strengths, and needs. I draw from cognitive and behavioral approaches, attachment work, parts work, and somatic strategies, and I’ve pursued training in EMDR. This allows us to address both how clients understand their experiences and how they respond emotionally and physically. For clients who desire it, I also incorporate Christian faith into counseling while honoring their preferences and autonomy.
What sets my work apart is the attention I give to understanding the purpose behind a pattern. People often come into counseling frustrated with themselves, feeling defeated or wondering why change is hard. I help them explore how certain responses may have developed to protect them, while supporting them in building healthier ways of responding today. My style is warm and collaborative, with room for both compassion and honest conversations.
I’m most proud of creating a space where clients can feel safe enough to be honest, even about the things they’ve felt ashamed of or struggled to put into words. Witnessing someone begin to understand themselves with more compassion, establish boundaries, and make choices that reflect their values is deeply meaningful to me. That’s the heart of the practice I’m building.
So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
What matters most to me is living and working in a way that reflects my faith, cares for my family, and honors the dignity of the people I serve. I want those values to be present in my everyday choices: in how I listen, how I treat people, and how I take responsibility when I need to grow.
I also care about building something sustainable. I want to serve my clients well while remaining present for my family and caring for my own well-being. I’m learning that boundaries support those commitments. Ultimately, I want the way I build this practice to reflect the same care I hope clients experience within it. Success matters to me, but so does servitude, so how I get there and the impact it has on the people around me is important.
Most importantly though, I want to have created a space where people feel safe enough to be honest, have a voice in their own care and begin to pull back the layers necessary for their healing. Trauma can leave someone questioning their worth or feeling that their needs don’t matter. It’s important to me that counseling helps them rebuild trust in themselves, recognize that their experiences deserve compassion and create a life that reflects the growth they want to see in themselves.
Pricing:
- Sliding Scale/ Private Pay Rates: starting at $70/session
- Health Insurance: Cigna, Aetna, Curative, Ascension, Blue Cross Blue Shield (pending)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abideinthevinecounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/abideinthevinecounseling/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Abide-in-the-Vine-Counseling-PLLC-61575327128727/
