Namaskaram, I'm Ashley
She/Her
I’m a daughter of immigrants and a proud descendant of the Girmitiyas. My ancestors were brought from India through the Indenture Labour system to work in the sugar cane plantations in Fiji, established by the British. Through assimilation and a desire to belong, I had forgotten the richness of my story. It’s been a long journey to reclaim my cultural identity and discover that I come from a lineage of spiritual leaders and healers. I want each and every one of you to remember the richness of your stories, too.
Let me be your advocate to support you as you reclaim your authentic Brown self.
Why am I here?
Representation. Representation. Representation.
I work in this space because there is an urgent need for the representation of our people.
When working with communities of colour, we need to consider the experiences of immigration, colonization, oppression, systemic inequities, and trauma on our wellbeing.
Rather than seeing you and your story in isolation, I see it through a holistic lens in relationship to the people, systems, and experiences in your life.
Let’s heal what our ancestors were never allowed to heal.
Prevention
Seedling Yoga
Sharing Yoga philosophy and tools for managing distress to our tamariki & rangatahi
Systemic
Bachelor of Counselling & Addictions Practice
Trauma Informed Practice Teacher at Weltec/Te Pūkenga
Researcher
Reclaiming Shakti: Working with South Asian women survivors of sexual violence
free webinar
Community
Te Paepae Arahi Trust
Counselling, therapeutic group work & movement therapy with our Indigenous and POC communities
“I think it's such an amazing thing that you're doing, connecting people who have gone through something very similar, in a time where they must feel so alone. I think that's so great. Honestly, Ashley, the work you're doing is fantastic and you're research is so fricken' needed”
— Preeti (It’s Preeti Personal Podcast)
“Ashley presented a wonderful, informative webinar for our organization (Somatic Experiencing® International) in the Spring of 2021. Her presentation was powerful, thoughtful, and beautifully organized. We were so honored to have her as a presenter, as her work with South Asian women survivors of trauma & abuse is so important.”
Laura (Somatic Experiencing International)
“Not all therapists understand the challenges of growing up in a South Asian family. Being a daughter, granddaughter, niece and aunt in these families is harder for some than others. Thank you for illuminating the pathway where we can all feel love, connection and true joy in being ourselves”
— Anonymous