Hello and welcome to Empowering Play! I’m Ashley Vance; a therapist who works with children and families. I am absolutely in love with the power of play! I have been using play therapy techniques for over two years in Indianapolis and am constantly amazed with the progress these kiddos make! I approach my practice with the mindset that childhood and adulthood are two separate cultures. I have spent over ten years working with children to learn their culture. What does that mean exactly?? I do my best to speak their language, follow their rules and validate their feelings in every session. I provide a safe and non-threatening environment for children to use play to express themselves, learn about their feelings and heal from unpleasant or traumatic experiences.
I graduated from Drury University in 2009 with a B.A. in Psychology. I then went to Purdue University where I studied empathy, language and cognition of children. I graduated with an M.S. in 2013 in Psychology. I moved to Indianapolis and began working in home-based therapy; providing in-home therapy for children involved with the Department of Child Services. I now have a play therapy room at All Things to All People Community Services where I help children learn to identify their feelings, develop healthy coping skills and address communication. I primarily work with children who have suffered from abuse, divorce, domestic violence or other traumatic events. I also work with children with behavioral issues and those on the autism spectrum. I believe families are a crucial part of healing and aim to include you in every step of the way.