Ashley Banta, PhD
Change can be difficult—even when you know what you want to be different. Ashley Banta, PhD, believes therapy and psychological testing can help people better understand themselves, find practical tools, and make meaningful changes in their lives.
Ashley is a provisionally licensed psychologist who provides therapy and psychological assessments to children, adolescents, and adults throughout Iowa. She earned both her master’s degree in counseling and her PhD in counseling psychology from the University of Iowa. She completed her predoctoral internship at Blank Children’s Developmental Center, where she received specialized training in evaluating autism, ADHD, and intellectual disability.
With more than seven years of therapy experience, Ashley brings warmth, honesty, and a down-to-earth approach to her work. She primarily uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), helping clients understand how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors influence one another and identify realistic ways to move forward. She works with concerns such as anxiety, OCD, depression, body image, academic difficulties, relationship challenges, and major life transitions.
Ashley especially enjoys working with children who are experiencing emotional or behavioral concerns and partnering with parents to better understand and support their child. She also welcomes clients who would like faith to be part of therapy and works to incorporate their religious beliefs and values in a thoughtful and respectful way.
Ashley provides psychological assessments for people of all ages, including evaluations for autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, intellectual functioning, and emotional or behavioral concerns. Her goal is to offer more than a diagnosis. She wants individuals and families to leave the assessment process with a clearer understanding of what is happening and practical, personalized recommendations for what to do next.
Ashley did not grow up in Iowa, but she likes to say she got here as soon as she could and is now proud to call it home. She believes life’s most important work happens within our own homes, and she balances her part-time clinical work with raising her two young daughters. Outside the office, she enjoys baking and letting her toddler serve as an enthusiastic—if sometimes messy—sous chef.
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To contact me, please reach out to our intake coordinator, Danielle, at (515) 984-0225 or intake@willowgrovetherapy.com.​