IC: @lailaannmarie. ID: Ashley, a non-binary light skin Black Dominican American with brown curly hair up to their shoulders and parted in the middle. They’re in a brown and blue long sleeve body con dress with white and black nails, silver rings on each finger, and silver hoop earrings. There is a lavender piece of fabric in the background.
Ashley Marie Lagrange (They/Them) is a Queer Neurodivergent Fat Black Dominican American Nonbinary Femme.
Land Acknowledgment
Ashley would like to acknowledge the Indigenous Lands for so called “North America.” Ashley recognizes being born, raised, and educated on unceded Lenape Land.
To learn whose land you are on visit: native-land.ca
They are a Licensed Therapist and Collage Artist born, raised and currently located in occupied Lenapehoking territory known as Queens, New York.
Ashley began writing and using imagery to create an “archive of the self” in their journals to document their own experiences with mental health struggles. They began collaging as a pastime craft turned coping skill while recovering from self injurious behavior and disordered eating. Journaling with intention since about 2012 - Ashley practices what they identify as Radical Vulnerability through their writing, artistic expression, dialogue, and imagery.
In their practices, they strive for vulnerability, transparency, and spaces where each participant can be their most honest self. Outside of Therapy and facilitation, Ashley creates collage art that helps them process and make meaning of life.
Their art has received recognition through the City Artist Corps Grant in 2021, where they were able to provide a New York City funded workshop for their home of Queens. Ashley facilitated a workshop on Mental Health and Collage. You can also see some of Ashley’s work in Black Collagists: The Book (2021).
Education and Training
Ashley received their Bachelors from Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin as a Posse Scholar with double Major in Psychology and Gender Studies. Ashley holds a Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During their time in graduate school, Ashley received the Minority Mental Health Practitioner Fellowship from the American Psychological Association (APA).
They are currently providing individual therapy via Telehealth with Pennsylvania based clients. They are Licensed in the state of Pennsylvania as of Ashley is also a certified K-12 School Counselor in the state of Pennsylvania.
They have the combined experience of youth work facilitation and school based counseling, along with their work with the Queer and Trans Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (QTBIPoC) population. Ashley has received training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) from EMDR in Color, Brainspotting Phase 1 and is scheduled to complete Brainspotting Phase 2 training with Tracy Gantlin-Monroy, MA, MDiv, LPC in December 2021 and Internal Family Systems (IFS).
Due to various experiences, Ashley prioritizes personal education in their own time by making time to attend trainings and workshops by individuals with lived experience. As a clinician in a field shaped by White Supremacy, part of the process of decolonizing their work is unlearning history molded by Settler Colonial Imperialism and returning to experiential learning by those impacted by systems of oppression.
Ashley is a firm believer of returning Land back into Indigenous hands, the end of Borders, Freeing Palestine, the end of United States Occupations, Black Lives Matter, Harm Reduction, Abolishing all Industrial Complexes created by Police and Surveillance and more. These factors are always considered in the continuing of their education.
Ashley believes
Oftentimes, all processing leads to Trauma Work. All Trauma Work is Grief Work.
If at any point you feel moved to help Ashley expand their knowledge through trainings, provide low cost community offerings, or process through art making, you can donate to them using the sources below.
Venmo: @AshleyLagrange | Paypal: paypal.me/AshleyL1218