Together we run this business. It seems only fair that you know a bit about us if you are to decide to embark on a healing journey with either of us as your co-captain.
Brooke is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Board Certified Art Therapist in Pennsylvania.
Ashly is a licensed social worker in pennsylvania.
Hi! I’m Brooke, the dreamer behind this little private practice.. And that's Ashly, the believer in growing our community of healers
about
Turns out grief is more than just tissues and tears and the color black. It’s also more than words could describe. I have had many experiences personally with the traditional talk therapy, and I do believe connection is crucial in validating the human experience. Yet in my experience with traumatic loss, there was no comfort in the "traditional". My journey lead me towards “non-traditional” practices and focused on whole body wellness. When my pain and suffering was too heavy for me to carry, and seemingly too heavy for most to approach empathically, I sought out practices that healed from the inside out. Art, Yoga, Reiki, Astrology, more yoga, more art, Meditation, Nutrition, more yoga, more Reiki... I built (and continue to build) the absolute best relationship with myself - mind, body, and spirit. We may not control what breaks us - and we can control our recovery and how we choose to begin again.
Be Here Wellness & Counseling became a dream after I began my own healing journey from traumatic grief and loss.
From Brooke:
My current companion and co-pilot for all life’s offerings is Charlie! He’s 35 full pounds of snuggle, with some german sheppard and basset hound mixed in. Charlie was rescued and at times struggles with his own anxiety. Proximity, walks, and treats are his favorite coping skills. (Charlie does attend sessions at times, and respectfully takes vacation days for those who may be allergic.)
I am a dog person.
on the weekend’s you may see me riding around with my Law Enforcement motorcycle family. The longest trip I’ve taken was in June 2022 where I rode 1,056 miles in 19 consecutive hours to Hot Springs, Arkansas.
I am a dedicated supporter of our First Responders community
I took my last math class my senior year of high school and was still able to graduate from a 4 year art university and complete my Masters Degree. Sometimes your weaknesses don’t hold you back - they just become another part of your authentic self. (So grateful that my best friend is an accountant and she checks my math!)
I am not a math person
fun facts about Brooke
Is your spark gone? Do late nights keep you up mentally spiraling in the dark? Does life seem like it's just passing you by? Are you generally unhappy more days than you are happy? Have you thought that life would be better off without you in it? Maybe you want to cry, but you can't? Let's sit together & find some light!
depression
Do you worry about things you cannot control? Do the "what if's" keep you up at night? Do worries limit your future dreams? Does spontaneity scare the s%*! out of you? Let's find the balance between hermit & daredevil.. & unlock some personal freedom from your extra "safety gene"!
anxiety
This is a judgement free space, especially when it comes to events that have impacted your sense of safety, happiness, self-worth, worldview, and way of being. This includes witnessing trauma. Your story matters & we want to honor the space for you to tell it!
trauma
Wherever you are on your journey, whoever you are, whoever you love, and however you identify - you are welcome! Let us support you!
lgbtqia+
Adjusting to the independence of being a teen? Navigating #adultingishard? New baby? New relationship? Trudging through (or celebrating) a divorce? Stumbling through a major loss or surviving widowhood? Turning 30? 40? or 50? Let's talk about it!
Life transitions
specializing in
From Ashly:
Have you ever had that moment where you can feel your emotions align in your body? that feeling when you can get all the words out and safely express your thoughts and feelings however you need to? That feeling of releif because you have been holding it in for too long?
I have had many experiences with the ups and downs of mental health and I have always found myself asking what would be helpful in this moment? How can I support myself and my family? What do I need in order to keep conquering life one step at a time, because life if TOUGH!
My journey took me on an inside look at myself which included: yoga, mindfulness, weight lifting, fueling my body with proper nutrition, and enjoying nature.
I'm passionate about sorting through the heavy stuff that life throws in our way. The power of relationship is so important, and it's crucial to feel safe and comfortable in a healing space AND within our bodies. Life is about meeting people where they are at. And I choose to to meet myself where I am at everyday with one day, one feeling, and one choice at a time.
Therapy is suppose to be hard - it's not for the fainthearted & it's not for everyone. This is why some may pass on the opportunity or bulk at the recommendation (thanks, stigma!). It's not instant, it's not a quick-fix - it does take time, patience, courage, and consistency. After all, this is your life we're talking about!
In order to be successful, be transparent & commit to your journey of healing & change. Therapy begins with developing a relationship built on trust for both the client and the therapist. Confidentiality is held in the highest regard to protect this relationship. Your safety is also held in that regard - a therapist has every right to express their concerns for your safety and to recommend actions to ensure your safety. If you are ever unsure of a situation, please keep you and your life a priority. If a friend told you, would you tell someone to get them help? Decisions will not be made without your knowledge and involvement - I'm not in the business of blind-siding anyone, and understand the impact of such.
this is a no bs zone.
Be Here Wellness & Counseling was made official in September of 2021 - there was fear, and Brooke did it anyway! Craving more independence as a practitioner & having experienced her own success in healing through whole-body wellness approaches, Brooke has created the foundation to grow a network of support for all the changemakers that seek healing through wholeness.
In 2023, Brooke re-located Be Here Wellness & Counseling to a larger space, and welcomed Ashly Duin, Licensed Social Worker, on board as a part-time therapist, and Danielle Maguire of Mindfully Balanced Wellness as a support/mindfulness group leader, Master Reiki Practitioner, and Certified Life Coach.
Here's hoping for more growth and healing in 2024!
now
Brooke transitioned into outpatient private practice and joined The Center for Creative Arts & Play Therapy in January of 2018. This was a step that felt premature (#impostersyndrome) - there was fear, & she did it anyway! During Brooke's time at The Center Brooke was able to grow her clinical skills & develop her caseload. Brooke was the go-to therapist for any and all "difficult" or struggling teens! During this time Brooke became certified as a 200 hour Yoga Teacher through Yoga Alliance, passed the examination to become a Board-Certified Art Therapist and explored continuing education in expressive-based interventions such as Nature-based therapies, Mindfulness for Stress-based Reduction, and more.
2018 - 2021
After graduation, Brooke accepted a position at Sheppard Pratt Health Systems as an Art Therapist on the adolescent male unit - this is where Brooke discovered her love for angsty, limit testing, misunderstood teenagers.. and learned that inpatient hospitalization is nothing like the movies. While working at Sheppard Pratt, Brooke also accepted a position as an agency contracted therapist with Juvenile Probation in a specialized intensive treatment program called JUMP Mental Health Treatment Court, in York, PA. More angsty, law breaking, misunderstood teens. Brooke worked closely with these teens and their families in their homes and in the community to gain insight on their behavior and build connections for support within the community.
2014 - 2018
Brooke attended George Washington University located in Washington, D.C. and completed her Master's Degree in Art Therapy. Brooke knew and was committed to making her dream career a reality. These two years were the most challenging and rewarding years of her education. With a program that specialized in trauma, Brooke gained experience working individually and leading groups with various populations of individuals including: St. Elizabeth School (a non-public school for students on the Autism Spectrum) in Baltimore, MD, Oncology & Hematology outpatient services at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and George Washington University Art Therapy Trauma Clinic in Alexandria, VA.
2011 - 2013
Brooke attended The University of the Arts located in center city Philadelphia, PA. Fun fact: Brooke had NO idea freshman or even sophomore year what she wanted to be when she grew up. Junior year Brooke had two options post-grad: Art Education or Art Therapy. Brooke was strong in her opinion of not wanting to grade the self-expression of students and did not want to doom herself to a career smell of tempra paints. So... what was Art Therapy? Turns out, art therapy was exactly what Brooke was intuitively getting out of being at art school - the ability to express creatively ideas and concepts that were driven by her emotions (minus the critiques - those were awful!)
2007 - 2011
BE here
wellness & Counseling -
The Journey
Investing in yourself is the greatest act of self-love. It's not easy - it's not a quick fix. AND it's worth it because you are worth it. Are you ready to begin & trust the process?
