Ashley Green, LMFT
Chapter Advisory Council member
Past-President, Redding Regional Chapter
From a very young age, I knew I wanted to help people. As a child, I dreamed of becoming either a professional singer or a psychotherapist. I studied music throughout my teenage years and performed into adulthood, and while my love of music continues to be an important part of who I am, it was always clear that psychotherapy would become my life’s work.
Helping others runs deep in my family. My mother, Patricia Bay, PsyD, LMFT, has been a psychologist since 1979. My father, Richard Bay, was a dedicated family law attorney and a federal judge before he passed away in 2016. Growing up in a household where both parents were deeply committed to serving others had a profound impact on me. I witnessed firsthand what it means to live with compassion, dedication, and purpose. Their work inspired me—not to replicate their paths but to follow in the spirit of their service.
My mother’s influence was especially formative. She is an extraordinary therapist, supervisor, author, trainer, and speaker. Over the course of her decades-long career, she has cultivated a thriving private practice, trained countless clinicians, written books, produced a globally followed therapy podcast, and developed continuing education programs as a CEPA CE provider. She even had a psychoeducational television show for a few years. In 2024, she received the Mary Riemersma Distinguished Clinical Member Award, just one of many well-earned honors she’s received. The example she set wasn’t just impressive, it was deeply motivating.
As soon as I graduated from high school, I started down my own path toward becoming a licensed marriage and family therapist. I earned my master’s degree in psychology from California Southern University, graduating cum laude in 2013, and went on to open my private practice, Heal Your Heart Therapy, in Redding six years later. Since then, the practice has grown steadily. In addition to working with clients, I serve as a certified supervisor for the associate therapists I employ, provide continuing education as a CEPA CE provider, serve on CAMFT’s Chapter Advisory Council board, and speak publicly on a few mental health topics. I’m also writing several books to broaden the reach of this work. I am proud to say that I’m not just following in my mother’s footsteps—I’m walking my own path alongside hers.
In 1994, my mom and a few respected colleagues founded our local CAMFT chapter, the Redding Regional Chapter (RRC-CAMFT). As I was growing up, I had the privilege of watching the chapter take root, evolve, and flourish. Over the years, my mom held nearly every position on the board, and she remains active with the chapter to this day. A member myself for many years, I joined the RRC-CAMFT board as president in 2023 and served in that role for two years. I now continue to support the board as past-president.
These past few years, my mom and I have made the CAMFT Annual Conference a trip we take together. It’s a fun way to connect with one another as well as network and participate in some fantastic trainings. Although we couldn’t attend this year’s conference in person (I had just welcomed a newborn), I was honored to be featured as an on-demand speaker for the event.
Being involved with the Redding Regional Chapter has been deeply rewarding. It’s a full-circle experience to be contributing to something I once observed as a child. Through local meetings and the annual CAMFT conferences, I’ve been able to connect and collaborate with clinicians from around the state. Serving on the board has given me invaluable insight into the inner workings of chapter leadership and the commitment it takes to sustain a vibrant professional community
The work I do—whether it’s with clients, associates, or the broader professional community—is rooted in a simple but powerful belief: Healing is possible. I’ve seen it, lived it, and helped others find it. I am grateful every day to be doing work that not only fulfills me but also continues the legacy of care, dedication, and service that was modeled for me from the very beginning. This is truly a family legacy, and I am beyond grateful for the entire experience, as well as for the platform of growth, learning, and networking provided by our local CAMFT chapter.