Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Garcia.
Hi Ashley, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I’ve always had a drive to help others. Early on, that led me to become a medical assistant with plans to advance in healthcare. However, family came first. Balancing two toddlers, work, and school (while pregnant with my third) became overwhelming, and I had to put my career goals on hold.
The spark came back years later when my sons joined the high school band. As I dove head first into volunteering at every event possible, and eventually earned a spot on the booster board, I found myself forming meaningful connections with the teens, becoming a trusted mentor and safe haven for them. That experience gave me the clarity and courage to return to school for a degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
The journey wasn’t easy. Managing a master’s program, work, and community involvement with six boys at home, including my step-sons and a new baby, required immense discipline. But every challenge reinforced why I was doing it: to show up for others and prove that passion finds a way back.”
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Not at all. Like so many families our biggest test came during COVID when our household dynamic completely shifted. My husband was laid off and began the challenging process of building his own business from the ground up. To add to the weight, my mother was diagnosed with cancer, and I became her primary caregiver through her treatment journey.
Managing a full house during lockdown, caring for my mom, supporting my husband’s business, and pushing through graduate school tested me in every way possible. Fortunately, my mom’s treatment was a success and she is thriving today. Looking back, surviving that storm showed me the true depth of my resilience and gave me a firsthand understanding of the real-world struggles my future clients face.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor at Katy Counseling, a practice that holds a deeply special place in my story. Finding a practicum site can be daunting, but getting connected to Katy Counseling and meeting my clinical director, Kelly Peyton, was a true turning point. I firmly believe it was purpose, not just chance, that brought us together. I completed my training there, stayed on as an LPC-Associate, and built the core of my professional identity.
Throughout my career, I’ve pursued specialized training in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and LENS Neurofeedback. This diverse toolkit allows me to support clients through grief, major life transitions, and deep-seated trauma. Most of my work centers on helping individuals heal from past trauma so they can regain control and rewrite their stories, as well as guiding teenagers as they navigate identity and figure out who they want to become while navigating the many challenges they face from home life to interpersonal relationships.
What sets me apart is my ability to connect across generations. Rather than confining my focus to a single narrow age group, my clinical training allows me to meet clients wherever they are in their life stage. What I’m most proud of is creating an authentic, safe haven where people, especially youth, feel genuinely seen, understood, and empowered to heal.
What does success mean to you?
For me, success was never about a title or a milestone; it’s about reach and ripple effects. It’s defined by the number of lives I’m privileged to touch and how authentically I show up for the people in front of me.
Personally, success is being able to provide for my family while showing my sons what resilience looks like in real time. I want to model what it means to face adversity head-on, stay true to who you are, and embrace life wholeheartedly. If I can leave behind a legacy of authentic love, deep human connection, and perseverance, that is the ultimate success to me.
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