The Art of Being a Therapist

In this solo episode of The Art of Being a Therapist, host Ashley Charbonneau reflects on lessons from her recent travels through London and Southern Africa. As a therapist who's always juggling client care with her own well-being, Ashley shares what taking real time off keeps teaching her.

She unpacks five lessons that emerge every time she leaves town.

1. Work hard, play hard isn't sustainable.

2. Be a student of the world.

3. Clients and supervisees are usually fine when we are OOO (confronting the fear of being indispensable)

Be sure to listen for the other lessons on the list.

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

In this episode, Ashley and Morgen sit down with Kellee, founder of Wild Transformations Therapy, to explore how the personal and professional intertwine throughout a therapist's career. Kellee shares her journey from high-caseload agency work to private practice, the hard lessons of setting limits, and how becoming a mother reshaped her sense of balance. The conversation dives into the power of therapeutic rituals — including the closing of the bones ceremony — as a complement to traditional therapy, and how reclaiming her own spirituality has enlivened Kellee's clinical work. The episode also touches on neurodivergent & LGBTQ+ affirming care and the unexpected joy of hip hop dance as self-care.

Guest Bio:

Kellee Myers, LPC, LAC, Clinical Supervisor, EMDR-Certified

After a decade working in various mental health settings, including hospitals, case management organizations, and 90-day residential Intensive Outpatient Programs for adults engaging in substance use recovery, Kellee established her private practice, Wild Transformations Therapy, in 2018.

Her specializations include trauma, anxiety, neurodivergence, and the LGBTQ+ community. Kellee is passionate about using EMDR to help process the remnants of childhood developmental trauma that can get in the way of healthy, fulfilling relationships, as well as providing EMDR supervision.

In addition to EMDR, she is "parts work informed" and trained in AEDP (Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Processing), a modality that focuses on increasing one's ability to fully feel emotions and be with the parts that come in to protect through shut-down, etc., with curiosity and compassion.

Kellee offers individual therapy, group therapy, clinical supervision, and therapeutic rituals, which are similar to therapy intensives and can help honor and hold space for both grief and celebration during times of big transitions.

Outside of work, Kellee is a proud mamma to a 4-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, a self-proclaimed cat lover and coffee addict, and her favorite new form of self-care is hip-hop dance classes.

Currently, she has three open spots in a biweekly "LGBTQ+ for 40+" therapy group held on Saturday mornings in Broomfield, as well as openings for therapeutic rituals.

Guest Contact Info:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellee-myers-95352a70/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wildtransformations/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WildTransformations

Website: https://www.wildtransformations.com/

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

In this episode of The Art of Being a Therapist, hosts Morgen and Ashley sit down with licensed clinical social worker and trauma therapist Maria Jensen. Maria shares her unconventional path from industrial engineering to trauma-informed clinical work, and how her analytical background shapes her approach to EMDR, brain spotting, and nervous-system-focused healing. The conversation explores attunement, co-regulation, the limits of what can and can't be taught in therapy and working with neurodivergent clients.

Guest Bio:

Maria Jensen, MSW, LCSW, is a trauma therapist specializing in anxiety, OCD, trauma, shame, and neurodivergence. Before becoming a therapist, Maria worked as an industrial engineer, an experience that shaped her ability to blend analytical problem-solving with deep empathy and human connection.

Drawing from specialized training in EMDR, Brainspotting, and shame resilience, Maria takes a nervous-system-informed approach to healing that emphasizes brain-body integration, self-compassion, and sustainable change. She is passionate about helping clients better understand themselves, reconnect with their strengths, and move beyond survival mode toward lives that feel more authentic, meaningful, and aligned with their values.

Originally from Baltimore and now based in Las Vegas, Maria believes healing happens when people feel truly seen, supported, and empowered to create lasting change.

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

Andrea never planned on becoming a death investigator. A forensic psychology internship led to her spending 12 years notifying families of loved ones' deaths. In this conversation with hosts Morgen and Ashley, she explains why her therapeutic training made her better at her job even though she wasn't practicing therapy. She opens up about the toll of investigating child deaths, going through an experience with a toxic supervisor that forced her to rebuild from scratch. It's a raw look at burnout, resilience, and how mental health training shows up in the most unexpected corners of public service.

Guest Bio:

Andrea McGinnis has a Master of Art in Forensic Psychology from the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Professional Psychology and a Bachelor of Art in Psychology from Hood College. She briefly started her career working with juveniles across school and home settings doing applied behavioral analysis before settling in Denver, CO in the non-clinical world. Andrea worked for 12 years as a medicolegal death investigator for the Medical Examiner’s Office where she obtained state and national certifications and organization memberships. Andrea has presented at local and state levels on a variety of topics including: Introduction to Death Investigations; Sudden Unexplained Infant Deaths and Child Death Investigation; and Victim Advocacy and its Role in Death Investigations. She has spent the last two years as an assistant in Autism Support for elementary-age students with high behavior and speech needs. Andrea is currently exploring the world of education in a variety of capacities.

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

With the Clancy trial bringing renewed public scrutiny to mental health systems, we wanted to step back and look at what actually happens inside the systems therapists refer clients to every day. 

In this bonus episode, Morgen and Ashley talk about three settings: psychiatric hospitals, community mental health centers, and jails.

They break down what intake looks like, how the language we use casually can feel alienating to someone in crisis, how autonomy and power function in each setting, and why stabilization alone doesn't fix the circumstances that led to someone ending up there. 

They also share practical steps clinicians can take including: explaining jargon, acknowledging repetition, offering small choices, and staying curious about power dynamics to make these systems more humane for the people inside them.

Content warning: This episode includes discussion of suicide, mental health crises, and other potentially distressing topics. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. If you are in immediate danger, please call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

Hosts Morgen and Ashley sit down with Kelsi, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Addiction Counselor with over 11 years in community mental health. Kelsi opens up about her path into addiction counseling, what actually makes a good addiction counselor, the blurred lines between substance and behavioral addictions (including the ones we normalize, like caffeine and vaping), and her recent move into a supervisor role. The conversation dives deep into what human-first supervision looks like, navigating grief and personal crises while showing up for clients, the frustrations of working within a broken mental health system, and how Kelsi balances her career with over a decade of volunteer leadership in Alpha Phi. It's an honest look at burnout, joy, self-care beyond the clichés, and what it really means to hold two truths at once as a therapist.

Guest bio:

Kelsi Klug, LPC, LAC is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Addictions Counselor (LAC) in Colorado with more than 11 years of experience in community mental health. She began her career as a clinical case manager and residential counselor while earning her Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Northern Colorado.

Throughout her career, Kelsi has worked across a wide range of settings, supporting children, families, justice-involved youth, and adults experiencing co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. She currently serves as a Clinical Supervisor at Sage Ridge Supportive Residential Community with AllHealth Network, where she oversees outpatient behavioral health services and supports both clients and clinicians.

Kelsi is passionate about accessible, compassionate mental health care and believes that strong therapeutic relationships are at the heart of meaningful change. Outside of work, she enjoys life with her husband and their three beloved pets—dogs Rylie and Poppy, and their cat, Tini. She also volunteers with Alpha Phi, the sorority where she first met Ashley.

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

Morgen and Ashley sit down with Lydia Schneider, LCSW, a child-centered play therapist, to explore her winding path into social work — from a rocky first job at a group practice to finding her people at Heartspace Kids and co-founding a therapist collective.

Lydia opens up about standing up for herself after a difficult employer, the power of mentorship, and why kids simply aren't wired for talk therapy. She takes us inside the playroom, talks about how parents also need to do their own work to understand their children, addresses how to build a sustainable private practice, and what it really looks like to follow a client's lead.

A heartfelt, funny, and deeply moving conversation about resilience, creativity, and the profound relationships at the center of good therapy.

Guest bio:

Lydia Schneider, LCSW, is an independently practicing Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Colorado Springs, where she was born and raised. She earned her bachelor's degrees in Sociology and English from Western Colorado University before completing her Master of Social Work at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Lydia specializes in working with children, adolescents, and families navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, identity development, self-esteem, and relationship challenges. Her work integrates Child-Centered Play Therapy, EMDR, CBT, TF-CBT, DBT, Narrative Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and TBRI, with advanced training in Child-Centered Play Therapy. As part of The Heartspace Collective, Lydia is passionate about creating compassionate, developmentally informed spaces where young people and families can heal, strengthen relationships, and build lasting resilience. To learn more about Lydia or contact her, visit theheartspacecollective.com.

Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

Ashley and Morgen sit down with guest Whitney, a licensed clinical social worker and military spouse. Whitney opens up about navigating grad school as a parent, being pushed out of jobs that couldn't accommodate her family, and ultimately learning that no one else was going to prioritize her wellbeing; she had to do it herself.

The conversation dives deep into self-care beyond bubble baths: setting boundaries, peer support, therapy for therapists, and the daily work of staying resilient in a field that constantly asks for more. Whitney also shares candid reflections on life as a military spouse.

Guest Bio:

Whitney is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker specializing in anxiety, ADHD, trauma, and the unique experiences of military members, veterans, and their families. Trained in EMDR and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), she incorporates evidence-based approaches, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), to help adults build resilience and create meaningful, lasting change.

Known for combining a warm, down-to-earth style with a love of clinical research, Whitney enjoys translating evidence-based mental health concepts into practical strategies people can actually use. She is passionate about supporting the military community and helping others better understand and navigate anxiety, burnout, ADHD, and trauma so they can move toward lives that feel more grounded and fulfilling. Whitney is also the founder of Sunrise Wellness Collective, a group therapy practice in coastal North Carolina. She believes that great therapy is grounded in both science and genuine human connection.

Outside of work, Whitney enjoys reading, spending time with her family, and taking advantage of coastal living.

To reach Whitney directly, you can visit her website at: sunrisewellnesscollective.com

In this episode of The Art of Being a Therapist, hosts Morgen and Ashley sit down with guest Jill, a clinician with experience spanning crisis work, hospital settings, child welfare, and private practice. Together they explore how systemic pressures like scheduling demands and insurance constraints can undermine ethical care, the emotional toll of crisis intervention, and the often-demoralizing licensing exam process. It's an honest conversation about burnout, camaraderie, and finding sustainability in a demanding field.

Guest Bio:

Jill Barker has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Social Work. Originally from New Jersey, she began her career in high-acuity crisis settings, providing care in a 24/7 psychiatric and substance use treatment facility before transitioning to emergency department crisis services.

In 2020, Jill relocated to Colorado, where she continued her work in hospital-based crisis intervention. After nearly eight years in crisis services, she expanded into private practice, specializing in trauma treatment and receiving training in EMDR. She later transitioned into a fully remote role within a hospital system before returning to direct patient care following a program restructuring.

Today, Jill is at an exciting turning point in her career as she explores opening her own private practice while remaining deeply committed to improving access to behavioral health care. Passionate about strengthening Colorado's mental health system, she hopes to become a leader and advocate for expanding high-quality behavioral health resources in her community.

Podcast Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com

In this debut episode of The Art of Being a Therapist, licensed clinicians Ashley and Morgen dive into the real gap between graduate school training and the realities of clinical practice — from the myth of therapy having a fixed 'end point' to the pressure of feeling like they had to fix clients rather than help them access their own resources. They discuss how systemic pressures in institutional settings stifle authenticity, why attunement can't be taught from a textbook, and how embracing their own humanity changed how they show up for clients.

Podcast Host Bios:

Ashley Charbonneau, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, evaluator, clinical supervisor, consultant, and educator. Her clinical expertise centers on working with individuals impacted by the legal system, grounded in a commitment to offender accountability, survivor healing, and restorative justice.

Ashley has developed multiple 45-hour training programs on clinical supervision and is the author of The Resilient Therapist (Bloomsbury, 2026) and Supporting Clients of Sexual Trauma: Establishing Safety, Processing Shame, and Fostering Healthy Intimacy (PESI, 2026). She provides training nationally on restorative justice, addiction, clinical supervision, working with individuals who have committed sexual offenses, professional boundaries in therapy, and mandatory reporting.

To contact Ashley directly, her website is: https://www.ensopllc.com/

Morgen Villegas, LCSW, LAC, ACS, is a therapist, writer, consultant, and an EMDR International Association Approved Consultant. Through her practice, Vida Idílica Therapy & Consulting, she specializes in helping women heal from trauma, attachment wounds, emotional neglect, and the lasting effects of overfunctioning and caregiving. Using a blend of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), she helps clients reconnect with themselves and create lives that feel more authentic, spacious, and connected.

Morgen also provides consultation to EMDR therapists seeking greater confidence and nuance in working with complex trauma. Drawing from both professional expertise and lived experience, she is passionate about helping people move beyond "faking fine" and toward lasting healing. She is the author of Shadows to Light, a collection of stories and reflections on emotional neglect, motherhood, and breaking intergenerational cycles. Morgen lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, rescue dog Raven, and an ever-growing stack of library books waiting to be read.

To contact Morgen directly, her website is: vida-idilica.com