Ashley Barad ’16

Overview

• BA, Hispanic Studies, Vassar College
• Master of Social Work, New York University

Ashley Barad (she/they) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist at Cobb Psychotherapy, a New York City-based group private practice. At Vassar, Ashley majored in Hispanic studies, and after graduation recognized a connection between their love of languages and their desire to connect to others and hear their stories. Following this insight, Ashley went on to pursue a career in mental health and received their master’s in social work from New York University in 2019. During their graduate program, Ashley completed clinical internships at the Puerto Rican Family Institute and Bellevue Hospital’s adult inpatient psychiatric unit. In their current role, Ashley is committed to providing affirming care for LGBTQIA+ clients, and plans to open their own practice later this year to continue working with and for their community.

Advice to Students:

Notice when you feel inspired by (or even jealous of!) someone else’s career. These feelings can be helpful tools in figuring out your wants and needs in your career. Care for the parts of you that feel hopeless or helpless about how to reach your goals, and remember that they are not your whole story. Career paths can be winding and exploratory, and it’s not always possible to plan ahead. Allow yourself some grace as you face these unknowns, and see if you can think of your career as an ongoing opportunity to get to know yourself better.