Just as a horse knows there is safety in a herd,
we need each other to survive and thrive.
Trauma-informed Therapy for Individuals and Couples Ready to Stop Repeating the Past
You know the patterns, the arguments that loop. The safety and connection that feel so far out of reach. You've studied your history and made 'sense' of the cycle, yet it still keeps pulling you in...
As Dr. Theodor Reik said: "The repressed memory is like a noisy intruder being thrown out of the concert hall. You can throw it out, but it will hang on the door and continue to disturb the concert.”
Traditional therapy teaches coping and communication skills. But none of these skills matter when relational trauma is driving the wheel.
If you're experiencing:
The same cycles, over and over, despite every attempt to change them
Feeling burned out, resentful and losing hope that things can change
A sense of emptiness inside, a sense you have lost yourself, a sense of not knowing who you are
A lingering awareness that you have missed something critically important, somewhere-
An urgent need to be seen and understood with no knowledge of how to express it
You're not failing at life. You likely haven't accessed a trauma-informed approach that actually restructures how your nervous system learned to “survive.” Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, tells us that “what wires together, fires together.” If you are experiencing confusion in how you got where you are, it is possible that during key developmental years of life, these “wires” fused together (fusion) during a time of overwhelm that exceeded the limits of your child resources. Therefore, the fusion created a negative interpretation of how you viewed yourself, others and the world around you. Exploring these earlier experiences is the beginning of understanding how your nervous system wired itself up to survive the environment you were born into. Next steps are to update these earlier programs so you can experience life as it is, not as it was. You will have a stronger sense of who you are and the world around you, as your system will no longer be “con-fused.”
Socrates once said~
“The Unexamined Life is Not Worth Living, True Worth Comes from Self-Awareness……”
Begin Your Journey- It is only the Road untraveled that will lead you back to you
Christie Ashbeck, Counselor, MS, LPC, NCC
My office sits in Gold Canyon, Arizona, next to the foothills of the Superstition Mountains in the East Valley, just 40 miles from the Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport.
Currently licensed to provide telehealth in:
Arizona | Colorado | Ohio | Maine | Minnesota | Louisiana
Frequently Asked Questions
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I am not contracted with insurance companies; however I can provide a Superbill for you to submit for out-of-network reimbursement.
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Traditional therapy often focuses on communication tools. RLT (Relational Life Therapy) addresses the relational trauma and childhood adaptations that make those tools impossible to use. It's direct, experiential, and focuses on restoring connection through accountability and emotional honesty.
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I am licensed to provide psychotherapy in Arizona, Colorado, Ohio, Maine, Minnesota, and Louisiana. I also provide coaching and consulting services worldwide. Please contact me to discuss which option is right for you.
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Both. Many of my individual clients are working on relationship patterns, self-worth, or preparing for healthier partnership. I work with adults only (no children or adolescents).
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Our first meeting is a free 15-minute consultation to ensure we are a good fit. If we decide to move forward after learning a little more about each other, our first session will consist of identifying and exploring the current dynamic that is not working for you. We will begin to identify some of the underlying trauma patterns that may be the biggest players, choose the course of treatment that feels right for you, and make a plan for our future sessions together.
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While many therapists are currently forced into recording and documenting client sessions with AI, Whole Heart Connection promises that AI will NEVER be allowed in your session, we strongly believe that human connection matters most.
Have Any Questions?
Please reach out and let’s get your journey started!
OUR CLINIC IS NOT A CRISIS CENTER & DOES NOT MANAGE ACUTE CRISIS. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:
If experiencing a life-threatening EMERGENCY, please dial 9-1-1
Central Arizona Crisis Line: (602) 222-9444 or (800) 631-1314
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: (800) 273-8255 or dial 9-8-8
Teen Lifeline (www.teenlifeline.org): (602) 248-TEEN (8336)
Domestic Violence Hotline: (800) 799-SAFE (7233)