Ashley Dillard

Ashley Dillard Profile Photo

Licensed Professional Counselor/former firefighter/former paramedic/Transpersonal Hypnotherapist

Before stepping into my work as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical & Transpersonal Hypnotherapist, I spent nearly a decade serving my community as a firefighter and paramedic. Those years on the front lines taught me profound lessons about courage, resilience, and the invisible weight so many people carry—especially those whose lives are shaped by service. That experience didn’t just change me; it became the foundation of my calling.

As a former firefighter–paramedic turned therapist, I remain deeply connected to the communities I once stood beside. I understand the identity shifts, cumulative stress, and unspoken grief that can accompany a life of service—because I lived it. Today, I bring that lived understanding into my work with first responders, military members, veterans, and their spouses, offering culturally competent, trauma-informed care that honors both strength and vulnerability as a part of the work that I do.

While I hold deep respect and understanding for the first responder and military communities, I genuinely enjoy working with people of all backgrounds, identities, and life journeys. I believe every individual carries a unique story, and it is an honor to walk alongside clients from diverse paths as they explore healing, growth, and self-discovery.

I hold an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree in mental health and clinical counseling, and I’ve completed advanced training in psychedelic-assisted therapy through Numinus. In addition, I have over 500 hours of interpersonal and transpersonal clinical hypnosis training through the Institute of Interpersonal Hypnotherapy. Combined with more than 5,000 hours of professional training and clinical experience, my approach integrates evidence-based practice with depth-oriented, progressive modalities.

My work goes beyond symptom management and nervous system regulation. Drawing from neuro-somatic therapy, hypnosis, and expanded-state therapies, I help clients engage in deeper inner work—releasing long-held patterns, reconnecting with their authentic self, and moving toward genuine liberation and meaning. I am passionate about easing the suffering people often carry alone and creating a space where healing feels safe, grounded, and deeply human.

19
May 8, 2026

Rewiring Trauma and Purpose

Cat York interviews Ashley Dillard, a former firefighter and paramedic turned licensed counselor, hypnotherapist and podcast host, about her journey out of emergency services and into trauma-informed care for first responders, military members, and families. The episode covers cumulative burnout, identity shifts, integrative approaches like clinical hypnosis, neuro-somatic work, and psychedelic-assisted therapy, and offers compassionate guidance on finding help, nervous system regulation, and h...