I received a Master of Education degree in School Counseling in 2009 from the University at Buffalo in Buffalo, NY. I am a certified North Carolina School Counselor. I am also a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate (#A10977). I completed a yearlong graduate internship at Colonial Village Elementary School in Niagara Falls, NY from August 2008-June 2009. I then worked as a interim School Counselor at Oriskany Central School District from September-October 2009. I then completed another interim position at Colonial Village Elementary School from November 2009-February 2010. I then worked in the Elmira City School District at Hendy Avenue Elementary School from March of 2010-June 2011. I worked for Billingsville Elementary School in Charlotte, NC from August 2011 to March 2014. I am currently a School Counselor at Weddington Middle School in Matthews, NC. I have been a School Counselor for five years.
In June of 2014, I began a private counseling practice under the name, Ashley Elsaesser Ms.Ed, LPCA, PLLC.
To further my education, I am currently enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Play Therapy Program at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Licensure
As a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate I receive supervision from a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor. I am currently under the supervision of Lori Fox, LCSW. If you need to contact Ms. Fox please call 704-776-8728.
Counseling Background
I currently service Children and Adolescents ages 4-18 years of age. I also service families around an identified child or adolescent client. I utilize individual, group and family therapy to provide the most beneficial therapeutic relationship with the child/adolescent. My therapeutic basis is from the Person Centered approach. I believe that all children and adolescents have the innate ability to overcome obstacles and challenges presented in their lives. Using this guiding belief, I use many Person Centered techniques, Solution Focused Interventions and Psychoeducational approaches as necessary. I use these approaches through Child Centered Play Therapy, Filial Play Therapy as well as directive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
I believe that by establishing goals with the client and their family, and through the use of specific counseling interventions, clients gain an increase in self-awareness, self-regulation and self-worth.
Session Fees and Length of Service
Initial sessions will be for 90 minutes. We will assess concerns, and determine the most appropriate services for your child. Each session following will be 50 minutes. The cost of the initial session will be determined upon 3 receiving my licensure. All payments will be in the form of check or cash. Please be aware that I do not accept health insurance, or file any health insurance claims at this time. The cost of the initial session is $100. The following sessions are priced at $85. A sliding scale fee may be used and the amount determined by the counselor based on the clients employment, situation, etc. will be determined and discussed with the client prior to services.
It is expected that your session will begin at the agreed upon time. Any session that begins after the agreed upon time cannot be extended after the scheduled finish time. A 24 hour advanced cancellation or rescheduling of the appointment is required. If the requirements are not met, a $30.00 fee will be assessed.
Use of Diagnosis
Diagnosis is established using the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) to inform treatment; however when working in the capacity of School Counselor I will not be diagnosing students, I will refer students to the appropriate source for an evaluation.
Although I am not currently accepting insurance at this time, in the future, a qualifying diagnosis may be required for the insurance company to cover the cost of treatment. Some conditions for which people seek counseling do not qualify for reimbursement. If a qualifying diagnosis is appropriate in your case, I will inform you of the diagnosis before we submit the diagnosis to the health insurance company. Any diagnosis made will become part of your permanent insurance records.
Confidentiality
All of our communication becomes part of the clinical record, which is accessible to you upon request. I will keep confidential anything you say as part of our counseling relationship, with the following exceptions: (a) you direct me in writing to disclose information to someone else, (b) it is determined you are a danger to yourself or others (including child or elder abuse), or (c) I am ordered by a court to disclose information.
Complaints
Although clients are encouraged to discuss any concerns with me, you may file a complaint against me with the organization below should you feel I am in violation of any of these codes of ethics. I abide by the ACA Code of Ethics (http://www.counseling.org/Resources/CodeOfEthics/TP/Home/CT2.aspx).
North Carolina Board of Licensed Professional Counselors PO Box 1369 Garner, NC 27529 Phone: 919.661.0820 Fax: 919.779.5642 E-mail: ncblpc@mgmt4u.com
Acceptance of Terms
We agree to these terms and will abide by these guidelines.