Helping individuals and couples build trust, safety, and connection.
I help individuals and couples slow down, understand the patterns that keep them stuck, and rebuild a felt sense of connection with a partner or with themselves. We'll work to recognize the cycle you get caught in before it takes over and find the deeper feelings and unmet needs underneath.
Before We Begin
Counseling is a collaborative, confidential relationship focused on helping you move toward the life and relationships you actually want. It isn't about being told what to do. It's a process of self-discovery where you get clearer on your values and become more fully yourself. It also isn't reserved for crises or emergencies. Most people I work with are simply at a point where old patterns — recurring arguments, walls that go up during stress, tendencies to manage everything alone — have stopped working, and they want a clearer, more honest way forward.
The professional relationship between a counselor and a client is different from friendship by design. It's structured around your goals, bound by confidentiality (with a few important legal exceptions, explained below), and guided by ethical standards set by the counseling profession and the North Carolina licensure board. Because of that structure, we can be honest about hard things, sit with them instead of avoiding them, and move toward real change.
For couples, that means learning to see and address the cycle you both get stuck in, rather than just the fight in front of you. For individuals, it often means coming to understand when and where your patterns first made sense and building something more grounded and effective in their place.
How to Reach Me
Warren K Ashley
Dr. Beth Anderson Walker
Dr. Melissa Mecadon-Mann
If You're in Crisis
If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room. The lines below are free, confidential, and available outside of our scheduled sessions.
| Line | Contact | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline | Call or text 988 | 24/7 |
| Crisis Text Line | Text HOME to 741741 | 24/7 |
| Vaya Health Crisis & Behavioral Health Line | 1-800-849-6127 | 24/7 |
| RHA Mobile Crisis Team — Western Region | 1-888-573-1006 | 24/7 dispatch |
| Mission Hospital Emergency Department | 828-213-1111 | 24/7 emergency evaluation |
| Hope4NC Helpline (Hurricane Helene recovery) | 1-855-587-3463 | 24/7 |
After-hours pathway: call or text 988 first, or reach Vaya Health's line above — both can connect you to a live crisis counselor and, if needed, coordinate a mobile crisis response in Buncombe County.
How I Work
Couples Work
My primary lens for couples is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a structured, research-backed approach built on attachment science. It helps partners step out of the same painful argument on repeat and understand the softer emotions and unmet needs underneath it, so you can respond to each other differently. Alongside EFT, I draw on Gottman Method tools: concrete, practical skills for managing conflict, building friendship and shared meaning, and repairing after a hard moment.
Individual Work
For individual clients, I use an EFT-informed, attachment-based lens. We'll look at how early relational patterns show up in your life now, so you can respond from a steadier, more secure place.
Professional Disclosure Statement
Provided to every client before services begin, in accordance with North Carolina licensure requirements (21 NCAC 53 .0204).
Licensure & Supervision Status
I am a Master's Candidate in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Western Carolina University, working toward North Carolina LCMHC-Associate (LCMHCA) licensure. All clinical work is performed under the direct supervision of a Board-approved Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor (LCMHCS), whose contact information is listed in the Contact section above. My supervisor reviews my clinical work regularly and is available to clients with questions or concerns.
Education & Training
M.A., Clinical Mental Health Counseling (in progress), Western Carolina University — CACREP-accredited program. Training includes coursework and supervised clinical experience in individual and couples counseling, with focused study in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) and the Gottman Method.
Scope of Services
- Individual counseling for adults navigating anxiety, life transitions, attachment and relational patterns, and general emotional wellbeing.
- Couples counseling for partners working on communication, conflict, trust repair, and emotional connection.
- Sessions are typically 50 minutes (individual) or 80 minutes (couples), offered weekly or biweekly by mutual agreement.
- My primary theoretical orientation is Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), an attachment-based approach. For couples, I also draw on Gottman Method techniques; individual work uses an EFT-informed, attachment-based lens. See “How I Work” above for more detail.
Fees & Cancellation Policy
Individual sessions (50 minutes): $40. Couples sessions (80 minutes): $55. A limited number of sliding-scale spots are available based on financial need — ask if this would help.
Payment is due at the time of service. Accepted payment options: cash, check, and all major credit/debit cards, as well as HSA/FSA cards. As a pre-licensed counselor-in-training, I am not currently able to bill insurance directly; a monthly superbill is available on request if you'd like to seek out-of-network reimbursement from your insurer.
Sessions canceled or rescheduled with at least 24 hours' notice carry no charge. Cancellations with less than 24 hours' notice, and missed sessions, are billed at the full session rate, except in cases of genuine emergency.
Diagnosis & Client Records
If appropriate to your care, I may assign a clinical diagnosis as part of treatment planning or to support insurance reimbursement. Once documented, a diagnosis becomes a permanent part of your clinical record and may be requested by other providers, insurers, or legal entities under applicable law. I'm glad to talk with you about what a diagnosis means, how it's used, and any concerns you have before one is added to your file.
Confidentiality
Everything you share in session is confidential and protected by law and professional ethics; I will not disclose it without your written consent except in the specific situations described below. Protecting your confidentiality is one of my primary responsibilities as your counselor, and I take it seriously.
By law, I am required to break confidentiality in the following situations: if you present a serious, imminent risk of harm to yourself or to an identifiable other person; if I have reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or disabled adult; if I am ordered to disclose information by a court order signed by a judge; or in the case of a medical emergency. A subpoena alone is not the same as a court order and does not automatically require disclosure — I will consult with my supervisor and, where appropriate, legal counsel before responding to a subpoena.
When couples are seen together, information shared individually (such as in an individual check-in call) may be discussed openly in joint sessions, per the couples confidentiality policy reviewed at intake. If you request a superbill for insurance reimbursement, it will include the minimum information necessary — typically diagnosis and dates of service.
Client Rights & Complaints
You have the right to ask questions about your treatment, to review your records, and to end services at any time. If you have concerns about my conduct that cannot be resolved directly, you may contact my supervisor, or file a complaint with the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors at ncblcmhc.org.
This statement is a working draft prepared as a training exercise and will be reviewed against the current NC Board Professional Disclosure Statement template (ncblcmhc.org) before use with an actual client.
Resources for Clients & the Community
A referral guide for Asheville, Buncombe County, and Western North Carolina, arranged from the most intensive care to longer-term support. Details below were confirmed on each program’s own website in November 2026. Hours and admission criteria change, so please call ahead.
In crisis or need help after hours? Call or text 988, or see the crisis lines in the Contact section.
Higher Levels of Care
For when weekly outpatient counseling isn't enough support.
- Sweeten Creek Mental Health & Wellness Center (Mission) Inpatient PHPMission Hospital’s behavioral health campus, open 24 hours. Offers 120 inpatient beds, plus PHP and IOP programs for children, teens, adults, and seniors.
- MAHEC Partial Hospitalization Program PHPFor adults 18+, Monday–Friday 8:30–12:30, usually for 3–4 weeks. Not for people whose main concern is substance use. Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and many private insurers, and has an income-based sliding scale.
- CooperRiis Healing Community ResidentialNon-hospital residential care for adults 18+. CooperRiis at Asheville is short-term and intensive (45–90 days), and its site lists Aetna, BCBS NC, and Cigna. The Farm in Mill Spring is longer-term (3–6 months) and mostly private pay.
- RHA C3356 & Neil Dobbins Center Crisis & Detox24/7 walk-in Behavioral Health Urgent Care. The Neil Dobbins Center provides facility-based crisis stabilization and medical detox (stays of up to 7 days) and accepts Medicaid, state funds, or prepaid self-pay, but not private insurance.
- Julian F. Keith ADATC Inpatient SUDState-run, short-term inpatient detox, stabilization, and rehabilitation for adults with substance use disorders. Open to any NC adult regardless of insurance, by referral from Vaya Health or a provider.
- Mary Benson House (RHA) Residential SUDResidential substance use treatment for adult women who are pregnant or parenting a child under 5. Requires Medicaid/Work First eligibility.
- Charles George VA Medical Center VeteransInpatient, outpatient, and residential addiction care for veterans, and a 24/7 walk-in emergency department. The Veterans Crisis Line is 988, then press 1.
Substance Use Recovery & Support
Peer support, harm reduction, and free mutual-help meetings.
- Sunrise Community for Recovery & WellnessNo-cost peer support, harm reduction, and resource navigation. Drop in 8 AM–6 PM.
- Insight Recovery Center PHP IOPPartial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and outpatient addiction treatment, plus a dual diagnosis program. Accepts insurance; check coverage with the program.
- SAMHSA National HelplineFree, confidential treatment referral, 24/7, in English and Spanish.
- Mutual-Help MeetingsFind AA, NA, and free SMART Recovery meetings, in person or online.
Relationship Safety
Couples counseling isn't appropriate when there's ongoing abuse or fear in a relationship. If that's happening, these organizations offer confidential support and safety planning.
- HelpmateFree emergency shelter, counseling, court advocacy, and case management for domestic violence survivors and their children in Buncombe County.
- Our VOICECounseling and advocacy for survivors of sexual violence (ages 13+) and human trafficking. Bilingual services.
- Buncombe County Family Justice CenterSafety planning, counseling, on-site legal help, and law enforcement for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse. Walk-ins Monday–Friday, 8–5.
Support for Specific Communities
Resources for needs that come up often in our region.
- Hope4NC Helpline24/7 support for anyone affected by Hurricane Helene.
- TranzmissionPeer-led support groups, virtual and in person, for trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse people and their loved ones.
- Youth OUTright WNCPrograms for LGBTQ+ youth ages 11–24. Drop-in hours Monday and Thursday, 3–6 PM.
- The Trevor Project24/7 crisis support for LGBTQ+ young people by call, text, or chat.
- National Maternal Mental Health Hotline24/7 support for pregnant people and new parents by call or text, in English and Spanish.
- National Alliance for Eating DisordersHelpline staffed by licensed therapists (Monday–Friday 9–7 ET), free support groups, and treatment referrals.
Finding Ongoing Care
Affordable and public options in Western NC, plus directories for couples and individual therapy.
- Vaya HealthPublic managed care organization for Medicaid and state-funded behavioral health in Western NC. 24/7 crisis line: 1-800-849-6127.
- MAHEC Center for Psychiatry & Mental WellnessPsychiatry and therapy for all ages. Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and many private insurers, and has an income-based sliding scale.
- All Souls Counseling CenterSliding-scale individual, couples, family, and group therapy for uninsured and underinsured adults.
- WNC Community Health ServicesBehavioral health care built into primary care for all ages, including LGBTQ+ support. Accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and most major insurance, with an income-based sliding scale.
- NAMI Western CarolinaThe local NAMI affiliate for Buncombe, Madison, Mitchell, and Yancey counties.
- NC Peer WarmlineTalk with a peer support specialist who has personal experience with mental health or substance use. You don’t need to be in crisis to call. English only.
- NC 21124/7 referrals for housing, food, utilities, and other health and human services.
- EFT & Gottman Therapist DirectoriesFind trained EFT and Gottman Method couples therapists.