The Art of Being a Therapist

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