We met over a starbucks counter in 2009
but it's a miracle we hadn't met sooner. Our lives had twisted and turned around similar river bends without ever crossing paths until a $100 gift card made me (Kaely) a regular at the cafe Ashley managed.
Even with a counter between us, our two visibly pregnant bellies started a conversation that never really stopped (just some big breaks in between.)
Over the years, our lives managed to look strikingly similar while remaining distinctly different—each of us gave birth to three children in less than 5 years (Ashley's bonus baby #4 was born in the pandemic) while working full time and slowly drowning our ever-growing mental health issues in overwork, spiritual bypass, and codependency.
Like they had always done, our lives mirrored each other as they crashed down around us, causing us both to examine every foundational area of our lives. We met on a rainy night in a Starbucks parking lot to compare notes;
Is it just me? Am I crazy?
Even if we were crazy, at least we were crazy together. The relief was palpable. We swapped stories and podcasts. We underlined books and gave each other the cliff notes. We compared journaling exercises and meditation techniques. We cried together. We grew together.... and then we began to heal together.
journey with us
Ashley Ward
she/her
Storyteller, Coach, Writer
love languages: sarcasm, GIFs, inappropriate jokes, sports movies, & aeropress coffee
Ashley Ward is a storyteller, writer, coach, wife, and mom, recently relocated to Chesapeake, VA with her husband and four kids. She loves a great cup of coffee (and is an aeropress evangelist), a well-placed GIF, and is an enneagram enthusiast. Happiest in front of a puzzle or a football game; fluent in sarcasm and sitcom quotes, and lover of the ocean air and sound of beach waves—Ashley believes relentlessly in the kindness of Jesus and looks at life through a lens of Ebenezer stones—laying down the markers of God’s kindness so she can look back and reorient herself to expect his faithfulness. Ashley isn’t passionate about healing because it’s come easy for her—deep personal struggle with self-compassion and struggle finding hope in her own story has landed her on the client-side of the therapeutic relationship for a long time. The laughter, tears, celebrations, and shared heartache in that place has led her to a passion for helping other people find the same.
Kaely Linker
she/her
Poet, Coach, Designer
love languages: swapping Tik Toks, oversharing our feelings, crispy bacon, strong coffee, trash TV
Kaely Linker is a poet, coach, designer, wife, and mom, who lives outside of Annapolis, MD with her husband and three kids. When she's not building websites, she loves to hike in the woods with her puppy, Baloo, or just hang out at home playing video games. A big fan of cracking jokes, drinking coffee, and playing board games with her kids, Kaely is happiest when swimming in the muddy Magothy River that runs through her neighborhood or swinging in a hammock at her family's cabin. Kaely has a chronic pain condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome and ADHD—both of which contribute to her mental health struggles. A reformed perfectionist, Kaely is a huge believer that the most profound changes happen from just a little bit of clarity and self-compassion. These shifts change our entire perspective like the colorful slides of a kaleidoscope dropping into place—completely changing our perspective with the turn of a wrist.
Tie-breakers
Ashley and Kaely have a ton in common, but if you're on the fence, here are some differences between them:
Ashley
Religion | Christian (deconstructed)
Relationship | Married—Heterosexual
Loves | Watching football & Friends, long walks at the local beach
Eating | Plant-based diet (mostly), plus sushi & tacos
Drinking | Americano with brown sugar, oat milk creamer, and frequent angst over iced or hot
Favorite Coaching Tools | Enneagram, Story Coaching
My clients come to me for | Reassurance and Comfort
Kaely
Religion | Woo-woo agnostic (formerly Christian)
Relationship | Married - Bisexual (late in life)
Loves | Beatsaber & DND, long hikes up the mountain
Eating |Candy-based diet (haha), plus pizza & margaritas
Drinking | Iced quad espresso, splash of heavy cream, caramel drizzle
Favorite Coaching Tools | Narrative Coaching, Self-care & discovery
My clients come to me for | Clarity and Confidence
get started
All Are welcome
Are you currently on a healing journey? Do you want a whole-hearted community to grow with? Are you willing to be vulnerable and to do the work of healing?
Then this is for you.
We welcome every race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.
We welcome your messy, your broken, your struggle. We'd love to show you where it's been beauty all along.
