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Ashley Montez

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
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Ashley Montez, MS, LMFT Associate

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
(469) 333-6163

With empathy, grace, and the love of Christ, I offer faith-based therapy for teens, adult individuals, and families. As God’s people, there is victory to be found in Jesus Christ. Psalm 103:2 says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.” As your therapist, I aim to remind you of all the benefits you possess as a child of God. Clients will also benefit from my practice being supervised by Dr. James Kelly Barnett, LMFT-S. My hope is that through our time together, you will become confident that life is beautiful, the future is secure, and you have the capacity to overcome challenges with God’s help and strength.

Killeen - Tue, Thu & SatOnline Counseling - Tue, Thu & Sat

About

Using a Christ-centered psychological approach, my greatest hope is for you to learn to live a life that glorifies God, even in seasons when you find yourself between Egypt and the promised land. No matter what you’re going through, you are not too far gone, you’re not too deep in sin, and there is no problem too difficult or challenge too great for our God. He loves you deeply, desires a relationship with you, and will meet you right where you are. “And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you” (1 Peter 5:10).

My Goal as a Christian Counselor

My goal is to facilitate spiritual growth in a nonjudgmental, loving, and welcoming environment and to help you know Christ for yourself and grow deeper in Him. My hope is that through our work together, you will develop a renewed perspective about your life. In our sessions, we will discover how to keep God at the center and draw from Him as the source for all you need.

What I Offer in Christian Counseling

I offer a welcoming space where you can feel comfortable sharing whatever is on your mind and heart. As your therapist, I aim to be in tune with your present needs during each session and will adapt our time together to meet those needs while remaining sensitive to the Holy Spirit. As a Christian therapist, I want it to be clear to each of my clients that I am not the source of their healing. I will never pretend to have an answer and have no shame in asking a client if we can pause and seek guidance from the true source of healing – the Lord Himself.

My Approach to Christian Counseling

I believe a therapist cannot take a distinctively Christian approach to therapy unless following Christ is a lifestyle. There is no separation between how faith informs my life and practice. As your therapist, I will be a student of your life. It is very important to me that I understand your perspective and provide a safe and nonjudgemental space while focusing on your needs, goals, and growth. We will focus on fostering self-awareness and Holy Spirit empowerment through Scripture-based therapy (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I hold a Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from Fayetteville State University, a Master of Science in Management from Troy University, and a Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas A&M University – Central Texas.

My Call to Christian Counseling

I believe God has called me to serve Him as “a repairer of the breach,” as Isaiah 58:12 states: “Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations; you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” My decision to pursue a career as a therapist was an act of obedience and faith. I’m just another willing vessel wanting to be part of whatever God is doing and to be used as an instrument to further the Kingdom of God. I consider this career a calling and a privilege as I seek to help my clients restore inner breaches (in mind, body, and spirit), repair outer breaches in righteousness, and connect with God so that they can receive the healing that has already been accomplished in Jesus’ name.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

This season of life is all about family. We love to spend time together, learning and growing together. I love finding God in the simplest day-to-day activities and rituals and finding even the tiniest miracles. My kids teach me every day and I love how the Lord uses them to draw me closer to Him. We love traveling, eating, trying new experiences, participating in our church activities, music, being outdoors, and sports, and I love shopping for deals, reading, and playing my flute.

Services and Specialities

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

  • Abandonment and Neglect
  • ADHD
  • Aging and Geriatric Issues
  • Anger Management
  • Anxiety
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Coaching
  • Counseling for Teens
  • Codependency
  • Depression
  • Family Counseling
  • Grief and Loss
  • Group Counseling
  • Individual Counseling
  • Infidelity and Affairs
  • Lifespan Integration
  • Marriage Counseling
  • Online Counseling
  • Personal Development
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Premarital Counseling
  • Professional Development
  • Psychiatric Care Services
  • Relationship Issues
  • Religious trauma and abuse
  • Sex and Porn Addiction
  • Sexual Abuse
  • Spiritual Development
  • Trauma
  • Weight Loss
  • Women’s Issues

Spiritual Growth

Your spiritual growth and development will be a continuous theme and goal in the therapeutic process. It is also a benefit to your healing journey when you walk with God. If you try to accomplish mind, body, and spirit alignment in your own strength, you will exhaust yourself. God is the ultimate source, and His desire is to lead, guide, and help you through life’s challenges.

In my practice, I will help you repair the breaches in your life and learn how to walk in right relationship with God. By partnering together and with the Holy Spirit, we will actively work to restore the purpose and intent of God’s will in your life. I consider it a privilege and joy to help you put God’s Word into action in your life with the goal of growing deeper and closer to Him. God’s Word never returns void and will accomplish what He pleases (Isaiah 55:11).

Anxiety

The symptoms of anxiety that you are experiencing may feel overwhelming, painful, debilitating, or cause you to feel trapped with no way out. Fear and anxiety can hold you back and can be the enemy’s way of keeping you from your heavenly assignment. The Bible says, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Did you know that the phrase “Fear Not” appears about 365 times in the Bible? That’s one for each day of the year! Knowing this truth offers reassurance and a consistent reminder of God’s presence and encouragement to live in faith and not fear.

In addition, I believe that psychoeducation about anxiety and an understanding of the neurobiology of anxiety will give you insight into your symptoms. Science is only catching up to what God has already created and accomplished. Let’s use the power of the living Word of God to restore the neural pathways disrupted by anxious thoughts rooted in lies, take those thoughts captive, and align them with God’s source of truth.

Family Counseling | Relationship Issues

Let’s face it, relationships of all kinds can be tough but with a renewed divine perspective, you can produce healthy relational fruit!

If you are experiencing marital, parental, sibling, work, or church relational issues, the presenting problem cannot be assessed only at a symptom or face value level. Together, we can take a holistic approach and ascertain how the different relational variables interact and connect with each other.

Symptoms that may have brought you to therapy are usually clues to a potential underlying or hidden issue. Issues known or unknown can be a catalyst to persisting symptoms. We learn from Scripture that God loves to operate in systems. Where God offers His vision, He also provides a system and strategy for how to accomplish it. His vision also applies to your marital, parental, sibling, work, and church relationships. Together, we will take a godly, systemic approach to healing relationships and lean on the strategies outlined for you in His Word.

Abandonment and Neglect

Do you feel like you have been ushered to the sidelines, discarded, unseen, or unheard? Being abandoned and neglected can feel as if you have been cut off from a key source of sustenance for life, which may leave you feeling isolated, insecure, or worthless. Abandonment is a profound loss of love, support, and nurture and can be exhibited in various aspects such as physical, emotional, relational, etc.

If you are carrying a mantle of abandonment and neglect, I would love to introduce you to El Roi, the God who sees you. El Roi is the God who keeps an accurate count of the number of hairs on your head and counts your every tear. He knows every detail of your circumstances and knows you more intimately than you know yourself! Remember, the God of our Universe is the source of everything you need. When you feel most invisible and forgotten by everyone else, you can remember that God does see you. He witnesses your struggles and comes alongside you. After all, if He sees the sparrows and takes care of them (Matthew 6:26), how much more does He care for you!

Counseling for Teens

Are you between the ages of 13-18? If so, keep reading! I realize you likely have a lot going on right now: mental health concerns, social/emotional issues, demanding schedules, navigating social media, navigating teen friendships/parent relationships, academic pressures, and the list goes on, right? In today’s world, you are facing an unprecedented level of stressors in addition to the natural biological, psychological, and social development that occurs during this stage of life. These stressors can be an unnecessarily heavier burden to you during “teenage-dom” if you are not rooted and grounded in Christ.

I want you to know that God cares about every detail concerning you. The same Spirit that rose Jesus Christ from the dead is the same Spirit that lives in you. My office is a judgment-free zone, a refuge for teens where we can discuss any topic without fear. Let’s tackle the tough and controversial topics that linger in your mind and learn what God says about it in His Word, all while healing and growing deeper in Him! “Let no one look down on you because of your youth, but be an example and set a pattern for believers in faith, and in moral purity” (1 Timothy 4:12).

Payment and Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

  • Killeen –  Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday
  • Online Counseling – Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for Individuals and Groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate (LMFT-Associate), some insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction may be added for credit card payments.

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