Fernweh Wellness was founded by former Team Canada athlete, emergency responder, and 40 Under 40 honouree Ashley Foster. It was built on a single truth: resilience isn't about avoiding pressure; it's about learning how to navigate it without losing yourself.

From High-Stakes Environments to Deep Healing

Ashley Foster didn't take a traditional path into psychotherapy. Her clinical perspective is forged in high-stakes, real-world environments where resilience isn't optional; it's essential.

As a 4th Degree Black Belt and former Team Canada Taekwondo athlete, Ashley understands the relentless pressure to perform, the mental toll of perfectionism, and the physical cost of pushing past your limits. As a former emergency first responder, she witnessed firsthand how stress, trauma, and burnout accumulate when left untreated.

These lived experiences revealed a critical gap in the mental health space: people in high-pressure roles don't just need surface-level coping mechanisms; they need specialized, evidence-based trauma care from someone who truly understands the weight they carry.

Why Fernweh Wellness Was Built Differently

Ashley founded Fernweh Wellness with a mission to redefine the traditional therapy experience. Driven by empathy and a commitment to ethics, she set out to create a practice that honours both the client and the clinician.

At Fernweh, we reject assembly-line mental healthcare. Ashley has cultivated a multidisciplinary team of hand-picked specialists who share her commitment to:

  • Somatic & Trauma-Informed Modalities: Integrating body and mind through evidence-based practices like EMDR and neuro-informed therapies.

  • High-Performance & Executive Mental Health: Helping leaders, athletes, and first responders navigate burn-out, imposter syndrome, and high-stress transitions.

  • Accessible & Ethical Practice: Prioritizing fair clinician support, community give-back initiatives, and compassionate, client-centered care.

Under her leadership, Fernweh Wellness has grown into an award-winning practice, recognized as a Canadian Choice Award Winner in Mental Health in its first two years of operation and celebrated for its revolutionary approach to holistic wellness.

Ashley’s Recent Features

First For Women Magazine Feature | 10 Extraordinary Women Who Are Breaking Barriers, Leading With Purpose and Making an Impact In Their Industries and Communities | 2025

40 Under 40 Award from Business Elite | 2025 | Canada

Wake Up With Marci, A Talk Show With Heart - Guest | 2024 | New York City

A Women a Day, Virgin Radio | 2024, 2025 | Calgary

Canadian Choice Award Winner, Mental Health Clinic | 2025 | Canada

Entrepreneur of Impact, Top 20 | 2025 | North America

Press Features | FOX, CBS, NBS, ABC

Ashley’s Accolades

Ashley’s Clinical Focus: