Book a therapist or psychiatrist in Knightdale, NC covered by United Healthcare

I believe therapy works best when clients feel safe, heard, and genuinely supported. I strive to create a warm, nonjudgmental, and collaborative environment where clients can show up as their authentic selves. My approach is compassionate, direct when needed, and focused on helping clients build practical tools for everyday life while also exploring deeper emotional patterns and experiences.

I enjoy working with individuals navigating anxiety, life transitions, relationship concerns, self-esteem challenges, stress, identity exploration, and emotional overwhelm. I am passionate about supporting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC clients and creating an affirming therapeutic space where clients feel respected and understood.

I understand that starting therapy can feel vulnerable, and my goal is to meet clients where they are while helping them move toward healing, clarity, and meaningful growth.

Hello! My name is Ashya Kennedy. I have been a licensed counselor since 2019. I specialize in trauma and PTSD, LGBTQ+ issues, depression, anxiety, and life transitions. I work primarily with older adolescents and adults in their 20s and 30s. My practice is called Inner Guidance Counseling because I believe that everything you have and need is within you and it's my job to hold space for you to connect with and follow your inner guidance.

I specialize in the treatment of adult women who have ADHD.

Women and girls are shamed, gaslit and neglected by many aspects of the medical system. The ability required to recognize and adequately treat ADHD in women requires a specialized knowledge of the disorder, but many healthcare providers are still missing the mark — and the client ends up suffering needlessly.

I am actively working to help women with ADHD learn about, and master, their symptoms using an individualized approach that creates new possibilities for thriving with ADHD, and paves the path toward recovery from the lifetime of shame caused by this misunderstood condition.

I work with people who are female-identifying or nonbinary, ages 18 and up, and I have special interest in Women’s Issues. I am also neurodivergent-affirming, disability-affirming, and proudly Queer-Allied.

ADHD has been, is, and will be present for the lifetime of the person. It does not have a “cure,” but it can effectively be treated. One does not “grow out of it,” despite what you may have been told. One cannot simply ignore it or choose to pretend it’s not real. But we can educate ourselves about it, learn how to work with it and thrive.

Bottom line, ADHD is often a diagnosis that does not get a lot of attention (hah!). People struggle from the anxiety and depression that results from the unmanaged symptoms of ADHD, and that’s what typically brings them to seek out therapy or medication. Therapy aims to alleviate that depression and anxiety with strong research-based methods, but you still have unchecked and unaddressed ADHD. If we don’t examine specifically how your particular version of ADHD shows up, it can end up being overlooked and ignored, but ignoring something doesn’t mean it’s gone.

I am offering immediate appointment slots and flexible rates during this difficult time. Are you struggling with anxiety and depression due to COVID-19? Do you feel uncertain about how to move forward during this difficult time? You may feel trapped or hopeless, but I can help you with proven coping skills and by working with you to create a new perspective. My life experience provides a solid foundation upon which I have built my techniques and interventions. In addition to my work with adults, I have experience with teens and young adults, and enjoy connecting with them and helping them navigate life and family challenges.

I spent 25 years in corporate America before earning my master's degree in professional counseling. This experience has given me insight into the stresses in the workplace. Having been a long time sufferer of anxiety, I can empathize with the weight of this emotion while also sharing techniques that have helped me live a better, more enjoyable life.

We are living in uncertain times and COVID fatigue has made daily life even more difficult to manage. It can feel overwhelming, but I will work with you to re-train your brain so that your automatic thought patterns are encouraging instead of fearful.