Our Services

We offer both in-person and telehealth services that include individual and group therapy, the ACT and MIP programs, and mental health and substance use disorder assessments.

Substance Use Services:

Up North Counseling is a State-Approved Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Program in the state of Montana. Ashly has seven years of experience working in substance use prevention, 16 years of experience teaching Prime for Life, and four years of experience working as a licensed addictions counselor (LAC).

Hand holding a compass on a mountain trail with green hills and distant mountains under cloudy sky.

  • Anxiety Treatment:

    Anxiety is a powerful emotion that is characterized by feelings of tension, worry, and fear. This can manifest in overthinking (aka obsessing), losing sleep, forgoing your favorite activities, and more.

    If we think of anxiety as our internal “smoke detector,” which, when properly utilized can protect us from self-inflicted and external danger. However, if our smoke detector is over functioning, even steam from the shower could set it off. Furthermore, once triggered, the smoke alarm can stay on much longer than needed, after the treat has subsided. With support from our compassionate therapists, our goal is to guide you to a calmer, more self-confident, and well-balanced version of yourself.

    Depression Treatment:

    "It could be much worse." 

    "Can't you just pull yourself out if this?" 

    "Look on the bright side." 

    If you’re living with depression, you have likely heard statements like these from well-meaning friends and family members. Despite affecting many people worldwide, explaining depression to someone who hasn’t experienced it can be challenging. Depression is not the same as typical sadness, as sadness and other unpleasant emotions usually pass within a few days, whereas depression can last for weeks or months. Furthermore, sadness is generally linked to a specific event, while depression seems to appear out of nowhere. 

    Suppose you have found that your depression starts or peaks during the fall or winter months, you may be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD can happen when there is less sunlight and colder temperatures, which can trigger a down or depressed mood. 

    It’s not always easy, but working with a counselor can help you get to the root of depression and gain the support you need to create positive change in your life. 

  • ACT has three components.

    Assessment –This is an evaluation conducted by a licensed addiction counselor (LAC) at a state-approved-program. This assessment typically takes 1.5 or more hours depending on the client’s substance use history. The biopsychosocial assessment is structured around the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) criteria, and includes three screening tools to assess your current and past experience with substances

    Course –12 hours of education called Prime for Life. This is an evidence-based course that draws on motivational interviewing and the client’s own value set to guide future low-risk choices with alcohol and drugs.

    Treatment – the level of treatment recommended will depend on the results of the biopsychosocial assessment.

    Recommendations could vary from out-patient to residential in-patient treatment. The following information is based on Montana’s Law (61-8-1007). “Treatment is mandatory for any 2nd  or subsequent offense. You have the right to obtain, at your own expense, a second chemical dependency assessment if you disagree with our recommendations.”

  • Our Minor in Possession (MIP) is an 8-hour education course which is a shortened version of the adult version of Prime for Life. Attendees will learn about low and high-risk choices, biological risk factors, and how to protect their values.

  • Guided by the American Society of Addiction Medicine’s (ASAM) criteria, the comprehensive evaluation includes an in-depth interview between the client and the licensed clinician to review aspects of the client’s life that include family history, medical history, psychiatric history, past substance use, current supports, and legal history.

    Information may be gathered from a “concerned person” in the client’s life to help inform the counselors assessment outcome.

“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”

-Abraham Maslow