about ashley
Ashley has had a unique journey that led her from a career in oceanography to become a prominent psychedelic-assisted psychotherapist, trainer, and researcher in Southern California. The through line has been an unbounded sense of curiosity and deep empathy for a struggling planet. Her passion is to foster people’s connection to a deeper sense of themselves, and through that, to something bigger and more awe-inspiring.
You can learn more about her and her work at:
Why I Wrote Quieting the Storm Within
I wrote Quieting the Storm Within out of a desire to make the powerful concepts of Internal Family Systems (IFS) more accessible to those just beginning their journey toward self-discovery. After being introduced to IFS during my MDMA-assisted psychotherapy training through The Multidisciplinary Association of Psychedelic Studies (MAPS), I was immediately struck by how intuitively it resonated with me and my work as a psychotherapist. However, I also found myself wishing for a resource that would help my clients quickly grasp the key ideas of parts work without needing multiple sessions just for orientation.
As someone with a background in creative arts, I decided to create a playful, engaging introduction to IFS that would provide an accessible entry point for clients new to the model. Throughout this process, I focused on highlighting the essential, benevolent nature of our parts, emphasizing their core human needs rather than the burdens they carry.
One of the key metaphors I used in the book is the image of clouds and the sun, which deeply resonated with me, especially as it aligned with my own spiritual experiences through psychedelics.
My hope is that this book helps others explore the concept of multiplicity within the mind and ultimately fosters greater internal and external harmony. I continue to believe that IFS serves as a gateway to deeper spiritual understanding, and I’m excited to keep exploring this in future works.
-Ashley
Listen in…
Join Tammy, the host of The One Inside: An IFS Podcast, as she discusses with Ashley why she chose to create a picture book for adults, how parts mapping can be playful and powerful, and how IFS and psychedelics both point us toward connection with our parts, with the natural world, and with something larger than ourselves.
Ashley shares her journey from marine science to healing work, the grief that led her there, and the awe and Self Energy that keep her grounded in the work today.
Articles I’ve written…
-
Introducing Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy to Clients
PESI
This article offers practical, accessible ways to introduce Internal Family Systems (IFS) to clients, helping them recognize their parts as expressions of unmet needs rather than problems to fix. Through simple metaphors and gentle reframing, it shows how therapists can make IFS feel relatable, hopeful, and immediately useful in session.
-
Integrating NVC with IFS: A New Path to Understanding Our Parts and Their Needs
PESI
This article explores how Nonviolent Communication (NVC) enriches Internal Family Systems (IFS) by framing parts as messengers of our universal human needs. By integrating NVC’s framework of observations, feelings, needs, and requests, we can engage our parts—and others—with greater compassion, clarity, and connection.
-
Using IFS to Address Existential Angst in a Polarized World
PESI
This article explores how Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy can help address existential angst by creating space for spiritual and existential questions that are often overlooked in modern psychotherapy. By integrating Self-discovery with meaning-making, IFS provides clients with a framework to build resilience, clarify values, and connect with something larger than themselves in today’s polarized world.
-
IFS Made Simple for Clients Moving From "What's Wrong with Me?" To "What Do I Need?"
PSYCHOTHERAPY NETWORKER
This article reimagines Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy through the lens of universal human needs, showing how even our most disruptive parts are adaptive strategies rooted in a desire for safety, connection, or dignity. Using vivid metaphors and illustrations, Ashley Booth demonstrates how curiosity and compassion can transform self-judgment into understanding, helping clients move from “What’s wrong with me?” to “What do I need?”
-
What Is Internal Family Systems (IFS)? – A Crash Course in the Hottest Trend in Psychedelic Integration
REALITY SANDWICH
This article introduces Internal Family Systems (IFS) as a powerful framework for psychedelic preparation, journeying, and integration, showing how our inner “parts” reflect core human needs. Through stories, metaphors, and illustrations, Ashley demonstrates how IFS helps transform overwhelming experiences into opportunities for compassion, clarity, and deeper connection with the Self.
Learn more…
In this Journey Clinical interview, J. Ashley T. Booth, LCSW, MS, shares her path from oceanography to becoming a leader in psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy. She describes how ketamine’s gentleness pairs seamlessly with Internal Family Systems (IFS), creating a powerful framework for trauma healing, self-discovery, and cultivating compassion for our inner parts.
Healing Through Parts Work and Psychedelics: How Ashley Booth Integrates IFS with Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
