Meet Ashley Ravid | Board Certified Educational Therapist, Founder and CEO of Ashley Ravid Group

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ashley Ravid and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashley, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Yes! Initially, I didn’t anticipate going into private practice with a group of educational therapists. After I received my master’s degree in 2008, I was thrilled to be hired by a school as a reading and math specialist. It wasn’t until after I had my first child, that I realized how difficult it was to go back to full-time work with a six-week-old. I started my private practice to accommodate a work schedule that would allow me to have a balance between being with my son part-time and allowing me to work part-time. After a few years of this, I realized how isolated I felt working on my own. So, I brought in a master’s degree student who was on track to receive her degree in educational therapy so I could mentor and collaborate with her. Today, my practice has grown to include incredible professionals in Los Angeles and San Diego who specialize in various programs and approaches and now we have our study group, go to conferences together, and collaborate whenever possible. It naturally grew into a business without intentionally becoming one. This organic approach is what I feel makes us unique and successful.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?

Sure! Ashley Ravid Group is a boutique practice offering families a variety of education specialists and educational therapists who are trained and experienced in working with students with varying learning challenges. We are skilled at reading psychoeducational or neuropsychological assessments and creating educational therapy or learning goals based on these reports. We work with students with a variety of learning differences such as ADHD, Dyslexia, Dysgraphia, Dyscalculia, executive functioning skills, and more. Many of our providers are trained in different reading programs such as Barton, Wilson, Orton-Gillingham, and/or Lindamood-Bell. Our approach to working with students is completely individualized based on the client’s needs. No two students work out of the same workbooks or binders. Each student has a binder with their own selected materials which are focused on their specific goals. We also collaborate with allied professionals and provide consistent emails to the parents. Some clients come to us without a formal report and we are trained in providing academic formal and informal assessments. This allows us to get a baseline of the current level of the client so we can provide individualized intervention for our students.

What sets Ashley Ravid Group apart from other practices is that nobody works under anyone else. There isn’t a tiered system with a supervisor. We are all equals and we have the flexibility and opportunity to collaborate whenever we want. Each provider at Ashley Ravid Group is skilled and unique on their own. There isn’t a manual for training and we all collaborate and mentor each other. Essentially, it is a beautiful blend of having each provider have their private practice in an already built-in network of peers supporting you.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

Wow! Both Los Angeles and San Diego have so much to offer locals and tourists. I’m so grateful to be able to call both places home.

When I’m in Los Angeles, I love going on hikes in Runyon Canyon. It’s a beautiful way to see the city from afar and see the different pockets of where everything is located. One of my favorite drives is Topanga Canyon from the Valley to Malibu. It is so beautiful and peaceful and when you come over the hill and see the ocean it is truly breathtaking. PCH has so much to offer and allows you the flexibility and pop over to random shops and restaurants. Los Angeles is so spread out it takes planning to find the sights and take it all in without being too overwhelmed.

San Diego is such a spectacular place to visit because you can do so much in a day. My family and I love walking along La Jolla shores and taking a boat out in Mission Bay. A boat to Fiesta Island and spending a day relaxing in the gorgeous San Diego sunshine would be a highlight. One of our favorite places to go to is the Rady Shell. We attend many concerts there and enjoy the open-air venue. Also, the hike and views from Torrey Pines Natural Reserve are unlike any other place. No trip to San Diego would be complete without taking them to either a concert or to cheer on the Padres at Petco Park.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

I dedicate my shoutout to my parents who helped guide me in my career choices and still support me through all my endeavors and passions. They are my biggest cheerleaders and help give me confidence when I feel I am lacking in myself.

I couldn’t do what I do without the love and support from my family. My husband and kids encourage me every day to keep chasing my dreams, pushing me to stretch outside my comfort zone, and regularly telling me how proud they are of me as a person and my accomplishments. My husband has been a pillar for me as I have grown my business in two different cities. He’s been there through the tears and the sleepless nights as I overanalyze and question myself. My success is a direct reflection of their love and support

Website: www.ashleyravidgroup.com

Instagram: @ashleyravidgroup

Facebook: Ashley Ravid Group

Image Credits
None needed. Family taken