In a city like Salt Lake City, where options for mental health support continue to grow, the question is no longer simply "where can I find therapy?" The more important question is "where can I find therapy that will actually make a difference?" The answer to that question depends on a set of factors that go well beyond location and availability.
Expertise Is the Starting Point
The most important factor in effective therapy is the expertise of the therapist. This includes not just their educational credentials but their specialized training, their ongoing professional development, and the depth of experience they have accumulated in the specific areas relevant to your concerns.
At Waystone Counseling Studio, Ashley Burkett, LCMHC, brings 17 years of specialized clinical experience in trauma therapy to every client she works with. Her EMDRIA certification reflects a level of commitment to excellence in EMDR practice that goes well beyond basic training. Her listing on Psychology Today, her memberships in professional organizations like UAMFT and UMHCA, and her connections with organizations like Open Path Collective and Mental Health Match all reflect a practitioner who is actively engaged in the broader professional community.
The Significance of Professional Affiliations
Professional affiliations are not just resume items. They reflect values and commitments. A therapist who is actively connected to professional organizations is one who takes their ongoing growth seriously, who is held accountable to professional standards, and who stays current with developments in the field. For clients seeking care at a counseling and wellness center, those affiliations are worth paying attention to.
The EMDR Difference in a Wellness-Focused Practice
EMDR therapy represents one of the most significant advances in mental health treatment in recent decades. Its inclusion within a counseling center is a strong signal that the practice is committed to evidence-based approaches that go beyond symptom management.
For clients dealing with depression, anxiety, or the aftermath of difficult life experiences, EMDR offers something distinctive: a way to process those experiences at the neurological level so they no longer drive current emotional responses. The result is not just reduced symptoms but a fundamentally different relationship with one's own history. Memories become settled. Negative beliefs update. The nervous system recalibrates to a more stable baseline.
At Waystone, this work is delivered within a broader trauma-informed framework that ensures every client is carefully prepared before processing begins and thoroughly supported throughout the journey.
Serving Clients at Every Stage of Life
One of the genuinely distinctive features of Waystone as a counseling center is the breadth of the population Ashley serves. Having worked with clients from age 2 to over 90, she brings an understanding of how mental health challenges and trauma present differently across the lifespan.
This versatility means that Waystone can serve:
- Young children who need early intervention support
- Teenagers navigating the unique stresses of adolescence
- Adults in the midst of difficult life transitions or longstanding struggles
- Older adults processing grief, loss, or lifetime patterns
Each of these groups benefits from a therapist who understands their particular developmental context and who can adapt their approach accordingly.
Gender Affirming Care as Part of Comprehensive Wellness
A truly comprehensive counseling and wellness center recognizes that mental health is inseparable from identity. Transgender adolescents often navigate unique social, family, and internal stressors that compound any other mental health challenges they are facing. Waystone addresses this directly through Ashley's certification by DOPL to provide gender affirming care to transgender adolescents.
This service reflects a commitment to the whole person. Identity is not separate from wellbeing. It is central to it.
The Role of Chronic Pain Treatment in Wellness
Many people seeking mental health support at a counseling center are also managing chronic physical pain. The relationship between emotional distress and physical pain is real and well-documented. Trauma in particular can amplify pain signals and make conventional pain management less effective.
Ashley's specialization in chronic pain alongside trauma makes Waystone uniquely equipped to address both dimensions of a client's experience simultaneously. Rather than compartmentalizing physical and emotional health, this integrated approach treats them as the interconnected realities they are.
What Prospective Clients Should Know
Before reaching out to Waystone Counseling Studio, here is what you might find helpful to know:
- Free consultation: A no-commitment initial consultation is available
- Session formats: Both in-person and telehealth sessions are offered
- Hours: Appointments are typically scheduled between 7am and 3pm
- New clients: An intake form must be completed to check insurance eligibility
- Location: Sugarhouse area, Salt Lake City, Utah
- Insurance: General payment and insurance information is on the practice website
Conclusion
A counseling and wellness center that combines specialized expertise, evidence-based treatment, a trauma-informed philosophy, and a genuine commitment to inclusive care offers something rare and genuinely valuable. Waystone Counseling Studio is that kind of practice. Whether you are just beginning to explore therapy or you have been searching for a better fit, Waystone offers the depth of care that makes real healing possible.