Hayley Ashkenas, ASW
Associate Clinical Social Worker
Offering Individual & Couple Therapy for Adults
License #127356 (Supervised by Liz Tong, LMFT)
How I Can Help
Just as we get hurt in relationships I believe that we also heal in relationships. My aim is to foster a warm and welcoming environment in which anything under the sun can safely be explored together. Our connection, trust, and gained insights may begin to release you from the grip of negative beliefs about yourself and old relationship patterns.
I also help couples of any relationship structure—married, unmarried, or consensually non-monogamous—get unstuck from cycles of hurting one another. Getting a skilled, outside perspective can be essential to strengthening intimacy and rediscovering connection. I warmly welcome intercultural couples, minoritized couples, and LGBTQ+ couples to my practice. As a Queer woman in a minoritized partnership myself, I bring an embodied understanding of the complexities of navigating life and love in the world we live in.
Educated & Experienced
Smith College School for Social Work - MA in Social Work
Lyme Academy College of Fine Arts - BA in Fine Arts
Harvard Medical School Cambridge Health Alliance in MA
Williams College Integrative Wellbeing Services in MA
The Austen Riggs Center in MA
Richmond Area Multi-Services (RAMS)
My Specialties
I offer trauma-informed, psychodynamically oriented therapy for diverse individuals, students, & couples. I also integrate somatic, mindfulness-based, and anti-oppressive frameworks to support my clients in moving toward more centered, connected, and meaningful lives.
I help individuals & Couples navigating
Depression
Anxiety
Relation Challenges
Grief & Loss
Trauma
Identity Exploration
Sexuality & Gender
Neurodivergence
Self Esteem
Life Transitions
My Style
My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and grounded in deep respect for the unique story each person brings into the room. The safety of our relationship can provide a special opportunity to practice the challenge of direct communication and explore new ways of relating. I pay close attention to how systemic oppression impacts us and how culture shapes us. I strive to provide a space where painful experiences can be metabolized and healed and authenticity can be nurtured and celebrated.
My Clinical Roots
Before joining DOT Center, I trained in diverse clinical settings including community mental health, university counseling centers, outpatient and residential care. My international experience living and working across the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and North Africa has shaped a culturally humble, globally-informed lens. I hold advanced training from Smith College School for Social Work, Harvard School of Medicine, and the Austen Riggs Center.
tools we may use
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Somatic psychotherapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples
