Introducing Ashleigh

I am so thrilled to introduce you to Ashleigh Marlow! She is an amazing therapist who I have invited to join my Vagus Nerve Team to provide additional support and therapies for your emotional and mental wellbeing.

The way I like to describe my work is that I physically get your nervous system to NATURALLY increase its capacity for coping with stressors. For my previous coaching clients, this has meant -

• Going from burnt out, to enjoying full days without feeling exhausted

• Having capacity to stay regulated despite whatever is going on around them

• Understanding why their body physically responds to certain situations or people

• Starting to shed and process stored trauma that has otherwise been inaccessible (or shoved so deeply down because of how unsafe their nervous system felt in feeling)

• Making life changes - moving jobs, working on relationships with newfound clarity, being a better parent or practitioner

But here’s the thing....

Once we have more capacity for regulation (and are acutely aware of our nervous system responses), we notice we fall into old patterns and subconscious conditioning. That’s where Ashleigh can help!

Hello, I’m Ashleigh

I am a Trauma-Informed Art Therapist who specialises in

• Creative Arts Therapy

• Clinical EFT

• Meditation and Mindfulness

Beginning my wellbeing career as a meditation and mindfulness teacher, I support women, girls and non-binary people to fulfill their innate self-healing potential.

I specialise in support for sensitive beings, neuro-divergent minds, recovering people pleasers, and survivors of abuse and domestic violence. My breadth of personal and professional experience is married with my training as an arts therapist and EFT tapping facilitator. 

Over a decade ago, I began my career in the creative design industry before following my calling to support people with their emotional and mental wellbeing. My mind-body-spirit approach is fostered by a strong personal connection with the universe and my ongoing education of the mind-body connection.

My lived-experience of chronic illness and family violence led me to specialise in supporting women and girls like myself. Those who care “too-much”, who feel things deeply, and don’t quite fit in. Those with sensitive nervous-systems, who are prone to people-pleasing and are still learning how to hold boundaries while staying self-regulated. I am here to pass on what I have learned about creating a fulfilling life with supportive relationships and optimal wellbeing.

Here is a bit more information about the services I offer:

Creative Arts Therapy

Creative Arts Psychotherapy combines modern research in psychology with the transformative healing power of expression and creativity. The safe and gentle space for exploration fosters an environment to build self-awareness, esteem and confidence. Through different artistic modalities and alternate modes of communicating, the inquirer may overcome the limitations of verbal expression to access their innate embodied wisdom and discover organic insights.

Art therapy is incredible for connecting with and expressing uncomfortable emotions. It’s perfect for releasing long held stress and tension, and supports you in processing your experiences. 

Unlike talk therapy, art therapy serves to bypass the cognitive mind by expressing the things that your mind hasn’t yet found the words for. Held in a safe, non-judgmental space, you will deep dive into your embodied wisdom to discover insights and explore your internal terrain. 

With creative art therapy, you will have the opportunity to tell your stories like never before, connecting deeply with your emotions and embodied sensations. Many people find this process to be cathartic and deeply transformative. With the luxury of creating purely for your eyes only, you’ll tap into a freedom to express your authentic self without any limitations. The multitude of expressive modalities include; embodiment and movement, visual arts such as painting, pastels and collage, creative writing and poetry and more. 

Benefits of Art therapy include:

• Increased emotional regulation

• Release of stress leads to lower cortisol levels

• Improved coherence and processing power

• Identifying feelings and needs 

• Communication with more clarity

• Resolve trauma and stressful memories

Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) - Tapping

Clinical EFT is a trauma sensitive, mind-body technique used to reduce stress, calm the nervous system and resolve trauma. Often referred to as ‘tapping’, the tool requires the participant to tap on emotional acupressure points around the face and body. Attention is placed on the issue at hand, with mindfulness of the embodied experience, and affirmations of radical acceptance.

EFT is a powerful self-administered tool you can learn and use at any moment to diffuse stress and engage the parasympathetic nervous system. When guided by a trained facilitator, the benefits of EFT are amplified, as you access and integrate stressful events and resolve unhealed trauma. I have supported women through major life changing events, the stresses of parenting, overcoming chronic health challenges, and processing and releasing childhood conditioning and trauma. 

Have you ever found yourself clasping your chest or picking at your fingernails in response to stress? This is because your body has innate wisdom and senses the emotional meridian points naturally. In EFT we use this knowledge to calm the amygdala response and send signals to your body that you are safe in the here and now. Your cortisol levels decrease, breathing returns to normal and your muscles relax, as you move from a state of fight/flight into the relaxation response. 

In session with Ashleigh, we will recondition your body to enjoy a greater sense of ease and retrain your brain, so you can access greater brain coherence, communicate with more clarity, and find calm in the face of stressful situations.

Benefits of EFT include:

• Greater sense of calm and clarity

• Process and discharge stress

• Additional coping tool for emotional regulation

• Resolve unhealed trauma

• Emotional support for burnout, chronic pain and anxiety

• Manage intrusive thought cycles

Meditation and Mindfulness

For millennia, the practices of Meditation and Mindfulness have been utilised to cultivate inner peace, clarity of mind, self-awareness and compassion. With mindfulness, one may learn how to reconnect with their felt senses and innate embodied wisdom. The practice of observing thoughts and feelings lay the foundations for fundamental change and personal growth.

Consider how you feel when you relax. Do you feel uncomfortable in stillness and reach for your phone to fill space? Some people struggle with overactive thoughts and spend the entire day running from task to task. In this fast-paced world, a lot of us get stuck in fight-flight and struggle to find moments of relaxation. This stress cycle leads to many physical and psychological health conditions, due to excess cortisol, increased heart rates, and overwhelming thoughts.

This is where the benefits of learning meditation and mindfulness come in. I’m not suggesting you need to sign up for a 10-day silent retreat or become a yogi master. There are many practical, adaptable and beneficial methods to incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your everyday life. 

The first thing to do is to find a safe space to start. Some teachers push you in the deep end and then wonder why people find the thought of meditation overwhelming or challenging. Ashleigh’s trauma-sensitive, embodied approach to teaching meditation and mindfulness will support you to find your sweet spot. As you gently begin to embrace supportive practices, you will feel a greater sense of wellbeing in your day-to-day life.

Benefits of meditation and mindfulness include:

• Relief from stress and sensory overload

• Less reactivity and more conscious responding

• Enhanced self-awareness

• Self-compassion and esteem

• Increased sense of peace and calm

• Emotional stability and nervous system regulation

The techniques are successful in creating space for deep relaxation and self-regulation. Studies show that regular practice can reduce stress, promote restful sleep, and reduce fatigue and fog-brain. A trauma-informed approach can also support people with anxiety and mood disorders, boost self-esteem and positive outlook, and reduce feelings of depression.

Join Ashleigh for an obligation free discovery call (limited to 15min)

Or if you know she’s the fit for you, book in immediately.

You might also like to join our Group EFT Tapping online sessions facilitated by Ash

We will be holding these monthly, so if you can’t come to this one ensure you’re on the email list to find out our next sessions.

What others say about Ashleigh..

“I have just finished an EFT session with Ash and I am feeling so serene and clear-minded. After a very troubling 6 months, I am holding a lot of physical and emotional tension and I can feel it softening and evaporating already. Ash is so knowledgeable and passionate about what she does and this makes her guidance magical. Thank you Ash for holding space while I continue along my healing journey.” Suzie - Yoga Instructor and Artist, Melbourne

“Ashleigh is one of the most caring people I’ve met, she makes it feel so easy to be vulnerable and honest in therapy sessions. Her knowledge and advice is excellent, and I felt clearer and lighter after every sitting. Would highly recommend” Brittany - Artist, Melbourne

“My session with Ash was fantastic. Ash has a very natural ability of framing up the conversation and tapping through it in an intuitive and reasoned way. She hit the nail on the head! I have already experienced great results and will be booking a block of 5 sessions! I would highly recommend Ash.” Linda - Chinese Medicine Doctor, Melbourne