Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Berry.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I really can’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated with healing in one way or another. I suppose it’s part of my lineage as my parents met in a hospital where my father worked as a physician and my mother as an ICU nurse. I can remember pouring over a book on holistic health that a friend of my mom’s had given to her when I was a kid, and I think even then some part of me knew that my purpose was to support people on their wellness journeys, but it never even occurred to me that I could pursue a career that was off the beaten path.
As an undergraduate student at UC Berkeley, I double-majored in Psychology and Sociology and then went on to pursue a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology with plans to become a Marriage and Family Therapist, but six months into my clinical training, I found myself quite frustrated with certain aspects of the Western psychotherapeutic approach to healing. Despite only having six months of practicum left to complete my Master’s degree, I decided to leave my program and embarked on a personal journey of studying holistic well-being practices.
Over the next handful of years, I dove deeply into personal development, spirituality, fitness, nutrition, somatic work, meditation, connection with nature, and creative expression. I found myself feeling more and more called to share the practices, tools, and wisdom that were creating powerfully positive shifts in my own life, and after completing a coaching certification with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I began offering coaching to clients that wanted to explore and cultivate their own relationships to wellness.
From there, it felt like a natural progression to study and share additional modalities like Breathwork, Reiki, and AromaTouch. Somewhere in the midst of this journey, I began using tarot and oracle cards as a way to connect with my higher self and inner wisdom, and eventually I started receiving so many requests from friends and acquaintances that I decided to add Intuitive Card Readings to my offerings as well. I am perpetually amazed by the way in which intuitive readings can not only provide a sense of insight and clarity for clients but can also help them connect with their own unique intuitive gifts and subtle senses.
It has been so fulfilling to be able to work with clients in such a multi-faceted way and to be able to offer them unique blends of modalities that are specifically tailored to their goals and intentions for our work together. My greatest hope is always to be able to support my clients in creating lives that feel truly authentic, aligned with their deepest values, and full of passion and purpose, and as I really don’t imagine that I’ll ever stop exploring and expanding my personal relationship to healing and wellness, I expect that my work will only continue to grow and evolve right along with me!
Has it been a smooth road?
Oh, absolutely not! Leaving my Master’s program after having invested so much and with no immediate Plan B was one of the most difficult decisions of my life! Even though I knew in my heart it was the right choice, I spent years searching and exploring before I felt like I had any clear sense of direction, and doubt definitely crept in at various points along the way.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As an Intuitive Card Reader, Coach, and Energy Healer, my work, more than anything, is about meeting my clients where they’re at in the present moment and supporting them in moving towards where they want to be. Whether their goal is to gain clarity around circumstances in their lives, to reconnect with their bodies and intuition, or to release energy or patterns that are no longer serving them, I seek to offer guidance, tools, and practices that empower my clients to create lives that feel nourishing on all levels. It is really important to me to work with people in a way that is collaborative and client-led, meaning that the client sets the goals and intentions for our work together, plays an active role in sessions, and is always treated as the authority on what is best for them, while I serve as a support and space-holder on their journey. Continual check-ins throughout our work together ensure that each individual I work with can choose the pace that feels right for them and simultaneously cultivate a deeper relationship with their own minds, bodies, and spirits. In this way, the work I do with clients is gentle, but deep and often sets off a domino-effect of positive shifts that echo through every area of my clients’ lives.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Los Angeles is a place that buzzes with creative energy. People often come here full of dreams and inspiration and I think that creates a really unique character to the city. By far and away though, my favorite thing about Los Angeles is the natural spaces–the beaches and mountains. I’ve spent more hours than I could count wandering through trails in the Santa Monica mountains and I truly believe that a good float in the ocean at sunset on a warm day can wash away almost any worry.
My least favorite things about Los Angeles would be the pace of life and the heavy emphasis on wealth and status over things that I think matter more when it comes to cultivating well-being–simple pleasures, a lifestyle that balances meaningful work and restorative time, and community.
Pricing:
- Intuitive Card Readings: $30-$75 depending on session length
- Energy Healing Sessions: $30-$130 depending on session length
- Coaching Sessions: $130/hour + discounted packages are available
Contact Info:
- Website: http://helloashleyberry.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/helloashleyberry
Image Credit:
Julia Corbett
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