Just as a horse knows there is safety in a herd,

we need each other to survive and thrive.

Relational Life Therapy for Couples and Individuals Ready to Stop Repeating the Past

Work With Me
Whole Heart Connection logo featuring two horses in a yin-yang formation, representing trust and relational therapy for trauma healing in Gold Canyon, Arizona

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 fight on repeat, just with different details

  • Walking on eggshells to keep the peace

  • A wall between you that "talking it out" can't penetrate

  • Resentment that keeps growing despite your best efforts

You're not failing at therapy. You likely haven't accessed the evidence-based, trauma-informed approach that actually restructures how your nervous system responds to intimacy.

Christie Ashbeck, RLT certified therapist

Hi, I’m Christie

I am trained and fully certified in Terry Real's Relational Life Therapy (RLT). I work with individual adults and couples through the lens of RLT along with other approaches created by pioneers in the field of relational trauma, such as Pia Mellody and Diana Fosha. These approaches are not just theoretical, nor are they taught in grad school. These approaches offer the latest developments in neurobiology including neuroplasticity and memory reconsolidation, going far beyond traditional 'talk therapy.'

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More About Me

Work With Me

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Couples Therapy & Intensives

For partners stuck in cycles of criticism, withdrawal, or betrayal. Available as weekly sessions or intensive 2-day formats for rapid restructuring. This is where real relational work happens.

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Equine-Assisted Psychotherapy

For those wanting to utilize the original biofeedback machine for improved emotional regulation and interpersonal connection.

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Trauma Treatment for Individuals

Using Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, AEDP, and EMDR to heal the nervous system patterns that keep you reactive, shut down, or self-abandoning.

Explore My Services
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Christie Ashbeck, Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Relational Life Therapist, AZ Whole Heart Connection founder, couples and trauma therapy in Gold Canyon, Arizona

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

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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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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).

  • 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.

  • 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)