Optimal Healing: A Whole-Person Approach to Wellness
Owner Ashley Benson of Optimal Healing LLC
Founded by Ashley Benson, Optimal Healing is a wellness center in North Adams that brings together mental health care, movement, and holistic wellness under one roof. With an integrated team of therapists, wellness practitioners, and instructors, the center offers a welcoming, judgment-free space where people can begin their healing journey in the way that feels right for them—whether that’s counseling, yoga, sauna sessions, red light therapy, or community events.
Although originally from nearby Stephentown, New York, Benson has spent much of her career serving individuals and families throughout Northern Berkshire County. Inspired by North Adams’ resilience and strong sense of community, she chose to open Optimal Healing here to help make compassionate, whole-person care more accessible. Today, the practice continues to grow, with plans to expand services into Lenox, Massachusetts, and Bennington, Vermont, while staying rooted in its mission of supporting healing, connection, and well-being across the region.
Scroll down to learn more about Ashley’s story and OH’s services.
Are you originally from North Adams?
No. I was raised just across the border in Stephentown, New York, from the age of eight. Growing up, my family regularly came to North Adams to shop, eat at local restaurants, and spend time in the community. Even then, it felt like a place with heart and character.
What brought you here, and what made you want to open your business in North Adams?
As a young adult, I lived in Central Berkshire while attending graduate school at Smith College. My internship with Berkshire County Kids' Place introduced me to North Adams through child protection and therapeutic work in their satellite office. I quickly fell in love with the city's authenticity, resilience, and close-knit feel.
Throughout my career, I've continued serving individuals and families across Northern Berkshire County. While the region faces challenges rooted in intergenerational trauma, economic hardship, and the effects of changing communities, I have always believed North Adams is also filled with incredible strength, compassion, and potential. Opening Optimal Healing here was an opportunity to invest in a community that has given so much to me professionally and personally.
What do you want people to know about your business?
The world doesn't need more conversations about wellness—it needs more honesty about healing.
Life will always include challenges, but healing becomes possible when you're surrounded by compassionate professionals, meaningful relationships, and a community that truly cares. That's the foundation of Optimal Healing.
We have intentionally built an integrated team of mental health clinicians, wellness practitioners, and movement instructors who believe there is no single "right" place to begin. Whether your first step is meeting with a therapist, taking a yoga class, relaxing in the sauna, trying red light therapy, or simply walking through our doors, attending a free client day, you're welcome here.
Healing isn't linear. It's completely normal to begin again—and then begin again after that. What matters most is that you don't have to do it alone.
For schedules and specials, please follow IG @optimalhealingcommunity or FB: Optimal Healing, LLC.
What are you working on right now that you're most excited about?
We're incredibly excited to be expanding our mental health services into Bennington, Vermont, and Lenox, Massachusetts. These new locations will increase access to quality behavioral health care while allowing us to build relationships within each community.
As those locations grow, we hope to introduce more wellness amenities—which have become part of the Optimal Healing experience—creating spaces where mental health care and whole-person wellness can coexist. Our mission has always been to make healing more accessible, and we're excited to continue bringing that vision to more people throughout the Berkshires and Southern Vermont.
