Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Sweeney Weathersby.
Ashley, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
My journey to my current career started as an undergraduate at Tougaloo College in Jackson, MS. At the age of 18, I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life. I knew I wanted to work in medicine but I also knew I didn’t want to spend the length of time required in medical school to become a doctor. I also struggled with chemistry in college which led me to believe I wasn’t going to be successful in medical school, therefore, I decided to pursue nursing because I had a false notion that it would be “easier.” If only I knew then what I know now! Whew! I finished my bachelor’s in nursing school in 2010 and started working as a nurse on a medical-surgical unit. After two months of struggling with general medicine nursing and constant ridicule by other nurses, I decided to pursue psychiatry which completely changed my life. I was drawn to psych because so many people struggled with embarrassment, confusion, feeling lost, needing guidance, and lacked knowledge about resourced. At the same time, I had also hit a rock bottom in my life, therefore, working with client’s in their journey to recovery taught me how to face my own struggles. I have given testimonies, encouraged, laughed, and even cried tears of both joy and pain with hundreds of clients all to help them discover how to transition from nothingness and void to a life of joy and desire to be alive and overcome great feats.
When I finished with psych as a RN, I wanted to take my career a step further a pursue my masters in nursing to become a nurse practitioner which would allow me to evaluate, diagnose, treat, and prescribe medications. I also knew I wanted to expand my knowledge to include general medicine because remember, I gave up on medicine. I moved to Texas August of 2012 which was my first time moving from home to a place where I didn’t have any family or support system. This stage of my life was perhaps the beginning of the most pivotal moment in my life. I went from driving on a two-lane highway in MS to tackling 75 in a matter of 1 day. I met so many people, learned how to build relationships, gained the confidence to figure out living on my own, and started school to become a family nurse practitioner. Yet again, between difficulty with school and a horrible instructor (who told me I would never become a nurse practitioner), I ended up failing out of school with one semester left before completion. I had to relocated back home as a failure and I watched my other friends finish law school, medical school, and become engineers. I thought to myself, “here I am a failure once again.” I slipped into a deep depression for about six months. I alienated myself from the world because I was scared that if I went to familiar places, I would have to explain to familiar faces that I was a failure. However, I decided to try general medicine as an RN again to prove to myself I can overcome anything. I have always been a fighter since a child. Not only did I attempt it again, I did something unimaginable. I took a position as a float pool medical-surgical nurse. This meant every single day at work, I would go to a new floor in the hospital, receive a completely new set of patients, and have less than 1 hour to figure out how to take care of them. Needless to say, it was a ROUGH 3 months! Again, I was ridiculed and laughed at as I struggled.
I didn’t have the safety net of repetition and stability. At the same time, I started a psychiatric nurse practitioner program. I went from failing school to academic scholar with a 3.8 GPA in a matter of 1 year. Psychiatry came so naturally to me. I was a great student and I’m a great psych NP. Once I finished school, I got married and then my husband and I moved back to Texas. I was not about to let one teacher and one dream go to waste because of a failure. Because I have suffered great defeat throughout my entire life, I have learned to never give up. I decided to RESTART family medicine and finish strong this time. I started UTA in 2017 and have never looked back. I am an UTA honor student and have a 3.5 GPA. I guess an older set of eyes, some tough nursing experience, wisdom, and some setbacks were the solutions to my problem. I finish my program August of this year and I will be a dual certified Psych and Family medicine NP.
Now, I have transitioned my life to helping others from a very personal perspective. When you work for a company, they focus on numbers and the “bottom line” which I understand from a business perspective but sometimes patients suffer because of a rushed evaluation. Therefore, I decided to start a company that blends the disciplines of both psychiatry and medicine. My company offers both home health and telemedicine visits. When I speak to my clients, I do a complete evaluation of both mental and physical health problems and we have open communication to establish treatment plans in order for me to help then walk on their journey to recovery. I have a unique opportunity as a freelance nurse practitioner because I am not confined by the restraints of working for a company that dictates how I treat my clients. My clients love me for that! I also work flexible hours (until 9pm) and weekends. And, because of everything I’ve been through over the years, this just one short example, I am real, relatable and knowledgeable about life. I am also very gifted at solving problems. So! from now on, I am not focused on the past and I teach my clients to do the same!
Please tell us about Body Mind Combined.
Body Mind Combined is a completely customizable health care service right in the comfort of your own home or other settings. We seek to add value to your overall holistic health care through personal communication with a one-on-one in-home clinician to address all health care concerns. We specialize in mental health services and also offer health consultations to maximize your health potential. We believe in the power of treating both the mind and body combined. We also are available to contract directly with health care providers for a continuity of patient care beyond the scope of a clinical office and community organizations in need of an additional mental health component within their setting.
Highlights:
We are personal, private, and professional; We understand that not every client is comfortable addressing their mental health concerns in a public setting. We understand that our clients aren’t always able to have their questions or concerns addressed at their medical appointments. We also understand the time constraints that limit in office evaluations on behalf of providers. Therefore, we are the solution to these problems and many more.
Customization:
We consider each client as an individual and build treatment plans accordingly. Our plans address both mental health and physical health from a holistic perspective consisting of traditional Western medicine or homeopathic/naturopathic with the underlying focus to target how the brain and the body are connected as one.
Telemedicine
We provide an option to meet via a secure and HIPPA compliant internet connection to offer mental health
services via computer.
Live Support:
Our clinicians are directly available by phone contact for a free telephone triage, brief consultation, or to address questions or concerns about face-to-face services previously provided.
After Work and Weekend Availability:
We offer maximum flexibility to fit your routine thereby reducing unnecessary absenteeism from work, school, or important life events.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood is when I received my first car at age 14 and drove to school for the very first time. I was the only freshman in the entire school with a car and I got to park in the parking lot with all the upperclassmen which meant I was a very well known freshmen!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.bodymindcombined.com
- Phone: 469-430-3246
- Email: bmc@bodymindcombined.com
- Instagram: bodymindcombined
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
