Biography

Dr. Ashley Winch received her Ph.D. from the University of Central Florida in Clinical Psychology and is currently a provisionally licensed postdoctoral fellow. Her research and clinical focus are in the treatment, education, and prevention of traumatic experiences and subsequent symptoms. Ashley started her clinical training at the Yale Child Study Center under the mentorship of Dr. Nancy Suchman in substance use and parenting. She continued this work when she began her doctorate training at the University of Central Florida, but quickly transitioned to studying trauma more globally after joining UCF RESTORES during the second year of her graduate education. During her graduate training at UCF RESTORES, Ashley received extensive training in the treatment of trauma symptoms experienced by first responders, veterans, and civilians following significant trauma exposure. In addition, Ashley received specialized training in Autism assessment and treatment at Nemours Children’s Hospital. She then went on to complete her postdoctoral residency at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and Arkansas Children’s Hospital where she combined her training in trauma and neurodiversity to cater to children experiencing trauma symptoms with comorbid ADHD, Autism, and in-utero substance exposure in outpatient and inpatient settings. Due to her deep passion for the work being done at UCF RESTORES, Ashley returned to UCF following completing of her Ph.D. To date, Ashley has received training in a variety of clinical therapy approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, parent child interaction therapy, child parent psychology therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy for adolescents. Ashley is currently working toward completion of national rostering requirements for trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy.

With respect to research, Ashley has devoted most of her time to researching the differences between averted and completed school shootings. This work has been published and lead to the development of a student training in the detection and appropriate reporting of peer school shooting warning behaviors that is currently being tested and improved. In addition to this work, Ashley has publications in the areas of trauma and autism; autism, intellectual disability, and anxiety; and self-harm and trauma in adolescents in Australia.