Ashlyn Douglass-Barnes, LCSW, PMH-C

About Ashlyn

A Practice Built to Close the Gap

Ashlyn founded Monarch Counseling because she saw firsthand what happens when women in the perinatal period receive care from providers who are not specifically trained for it. Symptoms get missed. Women get dismissed. The real work gets delayed. A new mother describing rage she doesn't recognize in herself may be told she's just tired. A woman having frightening intrusive thoughts may leave an appointment more scared than when she walked in. Someone grieving a pregnancy loss may be encouraged to move on before she has had any space to process it.

She built this practice to close that gap. Every provider at Monarch Counseling works exclusively in perinatal mental health, and that focus starts with Ashlyn. Pregnancy, postpartum, fertility, and loss are not one specialty among many in her work. They are the work.

You do not have to filter yourself or pretend to be okay. You just have to show up.

What sets Ashlyn apart is not just her depth of training, though that is extensive. It is the way she sees what others miss. She recognizes postpartum rage for what it is. She understands that intrusive thoughts are not a sign of danger. She knows that feeling completely unlike yourself after birth is not something to push through, and she knows how to help you find your way back.

Clients often come to Ashlyn after trying to handle things on their own for months. They've read the articles, tried the routines, and pushed through the hard days. What they find in her office, whether in person in Winter Park or over secure telehealth, is a clinician who already understands what they're describing, asks the right questions from the start, and helps them build a path forward that makes sense for where they are.

Her Approach

Direct, Honest, and Completely Judgment Free

Ashlyn's approach is direct, honest, and completely judgment free. She doesn't talk around what you're feeling or hand you generic advice. She tells you what she sees, explains what's happening in plain language, and works with you on what will actually help.

Many women arrive worried about saying the wrong thing: that admitting how angry, scared, or disconnected they feel will be misunderstood. In Ashlyn's sessions, there is nothing you need to soften. Her specialized training means the things that feel hardest to say out loud are things she understands and knows how to work with.

Her goal is for clients to leave feeling clearer, steadier, and more like themselves. That means understanding what's happening internally, having tools that fit your real life with a baby or a pregnancy in it, and no longer second-guessing everything on your own.

Getting Started

What to Expect When You Work with Ashlyn

Getting started takes less than five minutes. Submit an appointment request and the Monarch team handles the rest, including checking your insurance and finding a time that works for you.

Most sessions are held via secure telehealth, available to anyone located in Florida. That means you can meet with Ashlyn from home, during nap time, or wherever you have a quiet moment. If you prefer to meet in person, Monarch Counseling's office is at 1950 Lee Road, Suite 110, in Winter Park, FL 32789, convenient to Orlando and the surrounding Central Florida area.

In your first session, Ashlyn will want to understand what brought you in, what you've been experiencing, and what you hope will feel different. You don't need to arrive with the right words or a tidy story. Many women aren't sure what they're feeling at first, and that's a perfectly good place to start.

Monarch Counseling accepts most major insurance, including Medicaid plans. See our Insurance & Rates page for the full list of plans we accept.