Holistic Therapy & Counseling
Asheville, NC
For sensitive people ready to experience more of themselves, and their connected life.
Asher Zaccagnini, LCMHCA
I’m so glad you’re here.
Whether you have experience with therapy or you’re just beginning, starting a new therapeutic journey can be exciting and scary all at once.
I am a seasoned self-examiner and am passionate about helping others look inwardly, contemplating themselves and their lives in ways that are healing and growthful. My experience as a mental health professional includes over 10 years serving clients as a holistic wellness coach, and 2 years of supervised clinical experience as a therapist serving survivors of sexual trauma, children, teens, adults, and families. I have extensive experience working with clients suffering from symptoms of depression, anxiety, relationship challenges, and a general sense of having an overwhelming and fragmented life. I also hold a doctorate in physical therapy, and though I am no longer licensed in this field, this has added a treasure trove of experience in navigating physical and emotional healing.
I am most experienced working with highly sensitive young adult women who are navigating life transitions, interested in working through past or present relationship/family issues, or who may simply be looking for a deeper version of themselves that is stable, whole, and complete. Many of my clients are spiritual, creative, neurodivergent, and/or female identifying, though I enjoy working with a variety of populations and am skilled at meeting clients right where they are.
This work can feel complicated and difficult without a guide. Attending to your challenges together, we will provide a supportive relational space for you to remember your strength, and live an authentic and connected life.
My practice is available to all identities and populations, and I am actively working to disrupt the negative impacts created by systems of oppression.
Therapeutic specialties:
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Relationship challenges.
Connect your present relationship challenges and their past origins, gain deeper access to secure attachment, and develop healthier ways of relating with others that lead to fulfillment.
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Anxiety and depression.
Resolve long-standing feelings of unrest, worry, nervousness, and/or vague feelings of heaviness, shame, and dissatisfaction by re-gaining access to a centered and loving presence within.
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Life transitions.
Feel supported as you learn to adjust to change and uncertainty, manage transition-related stress in healthily ways, and respond to challenging circumstances with confidence and security.
How do I work?
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Present with you:
I usually begin working from a model called Person-centered Therapy. This places you at the center of your life, and also your experience of counseling. By being fully present with your experience, I will help you feel deeply seen and heard. You will also be the biggest influence when establishing goals, as well as in determining a direction for therapy sessions.
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Experientially:
I strongly believe healing occurs through experiencing. For this reason, I consistently encourage clients to move beyond “talk therapy,” and into the realm of experiences that they can practice, witness, and become more conscious of. Though this deeper form of therapy can be uncomfortable, I have seen over and over again this is what leads to sustainable change.
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Body-centered / trauma-sensitive
The body is available as a safe home each of us can learn to inhabit peacefully. It can be one of our greatest resources in listening to ourselves. Those who have had experiences of trauma or disconnection may have difficulty connecting through the body. I consistently encourage this connection through Somatic Therapy, inviting you to connect with the body’s wisdom from whatever place of readiness you are in. We will learn to see the body as a tool for self-listening, a friend, and also as a consistent place to come back home.
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Culturally-sensitive:
I am forever building new awareness about my inherited and chosen cultural identities, and bring curiosity and openness to each of my clients in this way. I especially aim to create safety in the therapy space by discussing power dynamics, inviting conversation about systems of oppression, and being sensitive to the experiences of individuals who have been historically marginalized or societally oppressed.
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Creative expression / strengths focus:
I hold a vision of you as a person who is strong, competent, whole, and complete. This means you are inherently creative, and that is one of your strongest resources! Although you may be having challenging experiences, I will always be reminding you that this is not all of who you are. It is a reconnection with your infinite strengths, capabilities, and resilience, that we will work to cultivate and grow. When appropriate, I also enjoy utilizing self-expression, music, and other creative arts as tools for self-discovery and self-regulation.
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Inner child / parts work:
Most of us have aspects of ourselves that have been hurt or neglected in past relationships and experiences. I enjoy helping clients become more aware of these “parts” and their emotions. I work well with clients wishing to rediscover their adult Self, and re-parent themselves in ways that feel nourishing, supportive, and stabilizing. I have many years of lived experience working with the therapeutic model called Internal Family Systems, and consider myself to be IFS-informed.
You deserve the space to feel, and heal.
Life is filled with complexity! Yet I do believe we all have an innate strength and courage within that can help us face the challenges and uncertainties of our circumstances. We can certainly access important growth through the loving support of friends, family, and chosen family, though there are times when this is not enough. The support offered by a therapeutic relationship allows us to feel and develop a consistent, reliable, and secure connection that is designed to help you see yourself more clearly. When we are reminded of our inherent goodness, we step back into the natural flow of life, and begin to grow in miraculous ways. It is here that we can truly thrive.
It’s my purest intention to help you realize your wholeness, enjoy what is yours to enjoy, and appreciate the beauty within and around you.
Our time together in therapy will help you access this place of recognition. When we make contact with ourselves in this way within a safe and secure connection, we learn relational patterns and emotional tools that teach us about trust, self-honoring, and authentic relating. Before we know it, we begin sensing a new ease where things once seemed overwhelming or too complicated to handle.
