About Me
Ashlyn Powell, MS, LCMHC, CRC
Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, Saturdays in the fall were for one thing only: football. My (completely practical) dream of becoming UGA’s first female QB1 didn't pan out, so instead, I immersed myself in athletics through track and field, lacrosse, and, eventually, as a strength coach. As an athlete, I faced severe performance anxiety, earning starting positions based on my performance in practices, but consistently falling apart in game settings. Once I got to college, and feeling like I would never overcome this perpetual anxiety and frustration, I decided to hang up my cleats for good. Little did I know this fateful decision would go on to shape my career.
I attended the University of Georgia, where I majored in Psychology and added a minor in Exercise and Sport Science in an attempt to combine my interest in psychology with my passion for athletics. Wanting to further my involvement in fitness and to help others reach their health goals, in 2015 I received my personal training certification and worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach with talented and driven athletes of all levels, developing relationships with them over several years.
I continued my education and received a master’s degree from Georgia Southern University in Kinesiology, Sport and Exercise Psychology Emphasis, in 2019. It was here that I developed a deeper understanding of the performance anxiety that had shadowed my athletic career, as well as burnout, injury rehabilitation, and other stressors so prevalent in sport, today. This was also when I realized that these issues overlapped heavily with another niche population — the military.
A keen interest in military history and culture led me to dive headfirst into the unique challenges faced by our folks in uniform. Performance under pressure, trauma, brain injury, and re-assimilation are but a few of these. Wanting to specialize in these two areas (sport and military), I knew I needed to learn and train a bit more to be as effective as possible.
In 2021, I earned a master's degree in Clinical Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from North Carolina at Chapel Hill. I am now a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor from the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors, and a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor from the Commission on Rehabilitation Counselor Certification. I have had the privilege of working in both private practice and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This has allowed me to collaborate with military personnel, athletes of all competition levels, and everyday champions to develop personalized strategies that promote self-discovery, emotional regulation, and a renewed sense of purpose.
My counseling philosophy blends concepts and theories of person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and strengths-based therapy to help my clients work towards holistic wellness. By fostering a culture of acceptance, empowerment, and empathy, I aim to develop a therapeutic counseling partnership with my clients in which they have the tools, security, and freedom to explore and adjust to the turbulence of the human, and athlete, experience.
