We recently connected with Ashley Waddington and have shared our conversation below.

Ashley, appreciate you joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

Absolutely! One thing that I started a few years back was offering session on the weekends (particularly Sunday’s) which offer working clients an opportunity to be seen on a day that may be a little less hectic or they do not have to balance as many issues with childcare or navigating busy work schedules. I have to admit that Sunday’s have personally become one of my favorite days because it’s just me in the building so there are not many distractions, it is easily my most populated day of the week so working folks do not have to come during their lunch hour, and I’ve learned that I am a way better therapist during the day than I am in evening sessions (I’m an early bird and not a night owl!)

I’ve totally seen my practice transform from this change and noticed that my partner also gets a day at home with the pups to decompress which allows me to open up a day during the week for me! Highly recommend!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Sure thing! My name is Ashley Waddington and I have my doctoral degree in Counselor Education and Supervision as well as am a private practice owner for mental health therapy in Columbia, South Carolina. I started in therapy at different capacities in 2013 and over time have gained experiences through state agency work, private rehabilitation, college counseling, adjunct instructing for master’s level counseling students, and private practice which is what I currently do full-time. I currently offer traditional 50-minute sessions, family and couples sessions, and EMDR intensives (2 hour sessions) so the client and I have ample time to process and work through present issues.

The majority of my clientele are women (probably because I am a woman!) and typical issues I currently see are high functioning anxiety, perfectionism, trauma and traumatic experiences, as well as transitional phases of life. I absolutely love the client work I do!

I am super proud of being a female owned business and pushing myself to do something outside of my comfort zone by opening up my own practice to see clients. I love being able to have a ton of autonomy over my space and providing clients a space where they can be their authentic selves that I only hope they can take with them outside of the therapy space.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think the main things that helped build my reputation include my genuinity, authenticity, and bubbly personality. It’s so easy to get sucked into a world that is jaded and ‘why me?’ that I think I offer an empathic space for client to process those thoughts as well as encourage other thinking. I also think my social media presence also mirrors who I am in real life so client’s can know they get who they get!

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective tool that has grown my clientele has been providing quality services, forming relationships with other healthcare systems (ie, psychiatrists, other therapists, and doctors) by sharing more about what I do and how I can assist them, and being a person of my word and following through with what I say. It says a lot to a person when they do what they say they are going to do and I firmly believe that your word is your bond. Integrity is everything!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.awtherapyandconsulting.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lpcashley/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Awaddingtonlpc/