Hello All!

My name is Ashley Borgatta, and I am the mental health and substance abuse therapist at Ampersand Integrative Wellness. I was born in Farmington, CT but moved to Sinking Spring, PA with my parents and two younger brothers when I was 5 years old. I grew up in a very loving yet dysfunctional large Italian family. Family and food came before all else. At a very young age I developed a passion for taking care of others, specifically those most in need (ie. children and older adults). I bandaged the neighborhood kids with skinned knees. I babysat and nannied from the age of 14. I visited with the neighborhood elder population whose family was not always able to visit. I found that I lived for knowing I could bring peace and joy to those around me. Whether it was those kids that needed a bandaid and a tissue or my elders who just needed someone to listen to them retell their childhood stories.

Besides being the weird neighborhood girl who helped people, I was also really into physical activity. (Those of you who actually knew me as a kid may be surprised by that statement). Around 6 I began horseback riding, showing as a Hunter Jumper. Shortly after I began dancing Hip Hop and Jazz. But by the age of 14, I quit both to play Lacrosse and Ice Hockey. While I loved to move and get my blood pumping, I refused to run sprints and was not actually that competitive. So I definitely did not fit the stereotype of a kid who played team sports.

As I got older, and moved to NYC for my social work education, I began running in Central Park. This truly sparked my joy of fitness. I ran every morning and worked out in the afternoon. I quickly realized that it was this physical activity that helped me with the anxiety of living in such a congested city and working a stressful job. To this day, I still may not be a competitor but you will find me outside running or at the gym lifting weights.

A little over 3 years ago, I moved back in with my parents in Sinking Spring after 6 glorious (yet slightly traumatic) NYC years to help take care of my grandfather who was suffering from lung cancer and my two other grandparents struggling with the aging process. The slower pace and the quality time with my grandparents was just what the doctor ordered. It brought me back to my younger years of helping older adults, and allowed me to be there for my grandfather during the most trying time of his life. I can truly say that while his passing was heartbreaking, I spent the last 4 months of his life by his side and that meant more to me than any other time we spent together.

Shortly after his passing, I began working fully time again and in my work I noticed that direct one on one therapy did not always offer my client’s a way to meet all of their needs. So I spoke to some local friends in the area and they somehow connected me to the exact people that my soul and clients needed. While we shared a common goal, we came from very different backgrounds, and ways of communicating, that it brings such a well balanced diversity. I am so excited to share what we have created so far and what may come to us in our future.

I hope everyone out there, reading this, knows that they are not alone. That we all have some sort of dysfunction, trauma, and struggle. Myself and the entire staff of Ampersand Integrative Wellness welcome you to our community, wish to support your needs, and help you reach your AND. I cannot wait to meet all of you!

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