From LCSW to Life Coach: The Story Behind Cascade Coaching & Consulting

Oct 31

Hi, and welcome to my website — I’m so glad you’re here!

My name is Ashley, and I’m a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who loves iced lattes, traveling, and spending time outdoors with my dog and daughter exploring new trails. For my very first blog post, I wanted to be a little vulnerable and share a bit about my personal and professional journeys — and how it led me to create Cascade Coaching and Consulting, a space dedicated to supporting others through life’s challenges with compassion, authenticity, and hope.

Discovering My Path in Social Work

My career began working for two different school districts while earning my undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice. I worked in various special education classrooms and quickly realized I wanted to dedicate my life to helping others.

After college, I joined a local foster care agency, where I discovered my true calling in social work. Although most of my coworkers pursued Marriage and Family Therapy degrees, I followed my heart and earned my Master’s in Social Work (MSW) in 2015. That decision shaped everything that came next.

I later joined the County of San Luis Obispo as a social worker, where I served in diverse roles — from child welfare services to conservatorship and behavioral health within the local jail. Each experience deepened by understanding of resilience, empathy, and the human capacity for growth. Working with people of all ages and backgrounds taught me that everyone’s story is unique — and that every person deserves happiness, healing, and hope on their own terms.

A Personal Health Journey: From Pain to Purpose

Several years ago, while working for Child Welfare Services, I began noticing something was off with my own “women’s” health. After a conversation with a foster parent who shared her medical journey, I realized her symptoms mirrored mine. That moment pushed me to schedule an appointment with my gynecologist — and that’s when I learned I had fibroids. Many large ones. Fibroids are genetic and although I have several women in my family who had battled them, I did not pay much attention or even consider that these could have been the culprit of so much pain and discomfort all these years.

For years, I had hidden my pain, and I thought what I was enduring was normal, but now I finally had an explanation. I underwent a myomectomy at UCLA to remove the fibroids, and during that procedure, my doctor discovered I also had adenomyosis — a lesser-known but similar condition to endometriosis. Adenomyosis is fortunately curable, but the only cure is a hysterectomy. Adenomyosis is when tissue starts to grow into the muscle wall of the uterus. The symptoms are very similar to endometriosis.

After the myomectomy, I finally felt relief — less pain, better sleep, more energy. But six months later, I felt completely defeated when my symptoms returned, which told me that my initial symptoms were likely due to adenomyosis and not necessarily fibroids. With this newfound information came the discussion of fertility…because remember the whole cure for adenomyosis is a hysterectomy…and well…ya kinda need a uterus to have a baby!

Becoming a Single Mom by Choice

Motherhood was something I had dreamed about since childhood. I always imagined a big family — five kids, to be exact! I picked out my first daughter’s name when I was 12. I was going to name her Kristina…which by the way, is not my daughter’s name! But as I got older, I was single and facing medical issues that could make pregnancy difficult.

Knowing time wasn’t on my side at 35ish years old, I turned to a fertility clinic in the Bay Area and decided to move forward with an egg retrieval. It was there that I first heard the term “single mom by choice.” I completed two egg retrievals, resulting in three healthy embryos and additional eggs for the future.

I can always see the confusion on people’s face who don’t know me or my story, and they always wonder how I created an embryo, so to answer the elephant in the room, yes I used a sperm donor. That is all I will say about that because that is my daughter’s information to share if and when she decides to someday.

After the egg retrievals came a heartbreaking decision — whether to attempt carrying a pregnancy myself or pursue surrogacy. Both of my doctors explained that I had only about a 20% chance of a successful pregnancy, and it would likely come with significant risk and emotional toll due to the adenomyosis. As much as it pained me to not carry my own child or even attempt to, I knew I couldn’t endure more trauma. As a woman, I struggled deeply with this reality. It’s hard when something that feels so natural and expected is suddenly out of reach. But I knew I still wanted to be a mother and that being a mother was my priority — so I decided to find a gestational carrier.

After much thought (and courage), I posted on social media looking for a healthy uterus! To my amazement, the post spread worldwide and I received many responses from as far away as Australia. Eventually, I connected with an experienced gestational carrier — someone I already knew and trusted, and she delivered my beautiful, healthy baby girl in May 2025!

I had a hard journey; however, I also recognize that for those on an infertility journey, my journey is one of the less traumatic ones. I was very fortunate to have a gestational carrier that was caring and kept me in the loop, despite living across the country from me. I felt that I knew what was going on, even in the scary moments of needing urgent medical attention. The end of our journey was a journey in and of itself, and has probably been the hardest part of this entire process for me. Due to some scary circumstances that are nobody’s fault and beyond anyone’s control, my daughter had to be delivered quickly and early, which resulted in me missing her birth and not being able to meet her until she was 14.5 hours old. Despite these things, I am so grateful for my gestational carrier and her family for lending me her uterus and bringing my little peach into the world!

Finding Healing and Purpose

The journey to motherhood wasn’t easy. It came with countless emotions, self-doubt, and moments of grief. But it also taught me that healing and growth can coexist with pain. Every difficult step brought me closer to where I am now — a mother, a professional, and a woman who understands firsthand what it means to rebuild.

Prior to my daughter’s birth, I knew that I wanted to have flexibility in my career because being there for as many moments of my daughter’s life is imperative and a non-negotiable for me. I also knew that I wanted to continue to help people, share my story, and support those going through infertility. Infertility is very isolating; however, I have learned that the more it is talked about, the more women open up about their struggles. Infertility, loss, miscarriage, single parenthood, donors, etc. are not something that should be silenced.

I also continue to have a passion for helping people going through life’s challenges, especially with how challenging the world can be, and want to be a sounding board, a resource, a support for those who want healing.

All of these experiences shaped my perspective and planted the seed for what would become Cascade Coaching and Consulting.

The Birth of Cascade Coaching and Consulting

In the year before my daughter was born, I realized I didn’t want to solely be a therapist — but I still wanted to help people navigate life’s challenges in a meaningful, supportive way. While I wholeheartedly believe in the importance of therapy, I also believe that not everyone needs or wants traditional mental health treatment.

I wanted to create a space that felt supportive, empowering, and accessible — something grounded in my values of movement, sunlight, meaningful conversation, and connection.

That’s how Cascade Coaching and Consulting was born. The name Cascade reminds me of being outdoors, waterfalls, mountains, and trees, which are my favorite places to be. I grew up going to Lake Tahoe and the name Cascade mentally takes me outside, which is the premise for local coaching services.

When in the planning phases of this business, my goal was to get people outside. I want to offer coaching outside to soak up vitamin D and increase serotonin levels, which has been shown to decrease depressive symptoms. Whether we sit on a blanket under a tree and chat or walk around Lake Park, bringing my services outside benefits everyone and allows the client to think more clearly. As I decided to expand my services beyond San Luis Obispo County and to also work worldwide with those struggling with infertility, I still envision having sessions outdoors when possible. This could look like both of us sitting outdoors at our own homes and meeting virtually. I am open to all possibilities and whatever works for you!

Closing Thoughts

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading my story. My hope is that by sharing bits and pieces of my journey — both the challenges and the triumphs — you’ll feel a little less alone in yours.

At Cascade Coaching and Consulting, I aim to provide compassionate, real-world guidance for anyone seeking to create change, build resilience, and move forward with confidence.

Whether you’re navigating a transition, exploring your purpose, or simply needing someone to walk alongside you — you’re in the right place. I look forward to hearing from you!

Ashley Totah