Ashley Zajacs, LCSW (she/her)
The Basics
Title: Clinical Therapist
Availability: Limited
Location: Telehealth only
Schedule: Weekdays, evenings
Insurance/payment: UPMC commercial, Highmark BC/BS commercial, Cigna, Aetna, Optum/United, Medical Assistance, Sliding scale $100-140
My Specialties
Reproductive mental health issues (infertility; abortion; challenges across pregnancy; postpartum anxiety, OCD, depression, or other challenges; early parenting support);
Reproductive Trauma (challenging birth, medical trauma, sexual trauma, intimate partner violence);
Neurodivergent support (please note our approach is generally therapeutic/acceptance-based, not coaching);
Trauma
My Orientation & Approach
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR); Evidence-based trauma therapies; Solution-Focused Therapy; Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); Internal Family Systems (IFS); Systems (including familial, transgenerational, historically oppressive, intersectional identity frameworks); Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT); Strengths-based.
Some Fun Facts
I enjoy taking classes at the Pittsburgh Glass Center (LOVE flameworking!). I love animals, including my puppy who is 34% “Super Mutt”
What working with me is like
My therapy style is laidback, conversational, supportive, and encouraging. Humor is also a big part of my personality and one of my favorite ways to connect with others. Research has shown that one of the best indicators of a client's ability to recover from mental health difficulties is their relationship with their therapist. As a result, rapport-building is a priority. I weave education, skills, and therapy techniques into a natural dialogue to help you see how those tools can be incorporated into your life in a meaningful way. I don't like to call our work outside of the session the dreaded word (homework) and instead think of those tasks as opportunities for you to practice what you're learning.
Quote
“There is no time other than now. We are not, contrary to what we think, ‘going’ anywhere. It will never be more rich in some other moment than in this one. Although we may imagine that some future moment will be more pleasant, or less, than this one, we can’t really know. But whatever the future brings, it will not be what you expect, or what you think, and when it comes, it will be now too. It too will be a moment that can be very easily missed, just as easily missed as this one.” – Jon Kabat-Zinn, “Arriving at Your Own Door”
Important about me
I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who prides myself on making everyone feel welcome, heard, and comfortable. I was the weird kid who wanted to be a therapist when I grew up (and I'm cool with that!). I've been fortunate to have many experiences thus far, but my true passions lie in women's reproductive health, neurodivergence, and trauma. In those spaces, I see myself as an advocate, a cheerleader, a guide, and, most importantly, a normal person. It is a privilege and an honor to be invited along on someone's sacred life journey. I look forward to meeting you there.