The Whole Therapist

Abby and Kellee spend time exploring inner stories they might hold around clients not wanting to see another therapist or explicitly saying they “need you.” They move into describing the somatic feelings and wonder out loud how listeners navigate these dynamics internally or externally.    Topics Touched on: Holding the Split: Attachment, Divorce, and Self of the Therapist: www.abbyesquivel.com Bo...

Abby and Kellee kick off a new season of The Whole Therapist. Both are returning from maternity leave and are making shifts in their practice. They use this episode to encourage listeners to think through when and how they decide to make shifts in their own practice. Honoring the need for a shift is highlighted.   Topics Touched on: Holding the Split: Attachment, Divorce, and Self of the Therapist...

Honoring Your Own Inner Celebrity  In this episode Kellee and Abby explore “celebrity therapists.” They talk through how the field looks to these therapists, but in doing this may miss other gifted healers who don’t have the same status. They draw parallels between the cultural of our field and religion and get curious about the messages of “good therapist,” and “bad therapist.” Abby and Kellee en...

Kellee and Abby dive into the problems with CEU’s across the field as a whole in this episode, but move specifically to discuss the Association of Play Therapy’s (APT) 12-hour in-person CEU requirement. Abby and Kellee express their opinion around the incongruence of APT’s DEI statement and their in-person CEU requirement. They go on further to explore the field’s origins of white supremacy, ablei...

Abby and Kellee talk through basics of looking for, applying for, and interviewing for your internship placement. They discuss the use of AI, and ways to use it appropriately in this process.  Topics Touched on: Rupi Kaur     Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/the_whole_therapist/ https://www.facebook.com/TWTPodcasters/ Visit our website: https://wholetherapistinstitute.com  Email us: wholethera...

Abby and Kellee explore how grief often accompanies goodbyes, and that goodbyes can also hold happiness and hope. They notice how endings and goodbyes can feel different for each therapist and each therapist/client dyad. They reflect on their own relationship with goodbyes in an out of the therapy space.    Topics Touched on: Circle of Security- https://www.circleofsecurityinternational.com Padrai...

Abby and Kellee recorded on 1/31/25 and began exploring how to hold space for marginalized clients who are impacted by executive orders and fear of or actual detainments of themselves and loved ones.    Topics Touched on: Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition: https://coloradoimmigrant.org/ Decolonizing Therapy (Jaiya john): https://www.decolonizingtherapy.com Iain McGilchrist: https://yalebooks.yal...

Abby and Kellee jump into a new season with the new year. They explore the ebbs and flows of their rhythms over the last 5 years of recordings, and how they have shifted as healers. Abby and Kellee highlight the importance of slowing down, community, intentionality, and how “being with” is truly enough for our clients healing.  Topics Touched on: Rebodying the Self of the Healer - REGISTER NOW: ht...

Abby and Kellee explore superiority, humility, arrogance, and how they show up for therapists. They give examples of how they have and do fall down this slippery slope (even while they record this episode) Abby and Kellee discuss the therapists’ parts of self that can show up in sessions where we may believe we are better and/or able to influence the outcomes for clients resulting in lack of true...

Abby and Kellee start to explore the word accountability and sift through their intention for the episode. They come to name self-reflection and community. Abby and Kellee talk authenticity and explore internalizing nurture from those in their community; which supports them in bringing this into the therapy space. They ask listeners to identify who they can be their truest self with; to practice a...

Kellee and Abby revisit the concept of 'process over content' in therapy, and explore what is bringing them Joy over the last few years since beginning the podcast. They dive into what may be leading therapists into content therapy versus process therapy, and encourage therapists to lean into what makes them feel alive and joyful.  Follow us: https://www.instagram.com/the_whole_therapist...

Abby and Kellee are back after some big technological struggles. They welcome the community back in and explore the theme of, withholding. They explore withholding EMDR from clients and withholding the truth from clients. Are therapists withholding for a true clinical reason or out of fear? Abby and Kellee ask therapists to ask themselves, “Why might I not be leaning into something that is right h...

Abby and Kellee get brave and venture into a topic that doesn’t seem openly talked about, feeling attraction to our clients. They share their own experience of this happening, normalize this experience, and explore the neuroscience that is happening when attraction happens.  Topics Touched on: Bonnie Badenoch:  https://www.nurturingtheheart.com The Whole Therapist Consultation Group: $50 per group...

Abby and Kellee use this episode to talk through some recent experiences that required Bravery in their own lives and how we relate to Risk both personally and professionally. They explore noticing how 'being brave' and 'taking risks'  show up in relationship in the therapy setting, and share some poetry with listeners. They ask listeners to get curious about their own relation...

Kellee and Abby are back from their holiday break! Join them for the Season 5 in another conversation, all about looooooove 💗. Their exploration is prompted by the question, “do we love our clients?” and, "must we?" Kellee and Abby muse about what it means to love, draw from some of Dr. Allan Schore's research, name the importance of therapist's doing their own parts work, and...

Kellee is going on maternity leave! This episode explores the ways in which therapists who experience pregnancy can be impacted and transformed as practitioners and humans. Abby and Kellee explore their own personal experience with pregnancy in the field, how they navigate boundaries, and conversations around client care as it relates to self-disclosure in this tender time period. They normalize h...

This episode explores all the ways in which we therapists don’t take the time off we need while encouraging our clients to take time off for self-care. Abby and Kellee explore their own personal struggles with taking time off, including the messages and narratives they tell themselves about when and how much time off they should take. They normalize how guilt can show up around this subject and em...

Abby and Kellee use this episode to share some announcements and talk through some recent stories in their own lives that have contributed to deep feelings showing up personally and professionally. They explore noticing deep feelings that show up in relationship in the professional setting, and what pausing and reflecting can do to create regulation around such deep feelings. They ask listeners to...

Abby and Kellee touch on how important non-verbal communication is to the healing process for our clients in the therapy space. They share how words are the least important part of the healing process, and ways that non-verbal communication is so vital to attachment trauma work. The acknowledge this topic being hard to explore while using a podcast that involves all talking, and leave listeners wi...

Abby and Kellee lean into discussing recent feedback they got on this podcast, and the parallel process that occurs in the therapy space. They explore work from Dan Siegel around “linkage and differentiation.” The two also discuss attachment strategies we all can fall into based on our own attachment histories with giving and receiving feedback.    Topics Touched on: Robyn Gobbel- https://robyngob...

Abby and Kellee spend time wandering through this episode exploring patience with parts of self for our clients, and for ourselves. They untangle the definition of patience, and what this really means in our work with clients. The two name the wandering that happens in this episode and explore what it feels like to be at the edge of their own work to help listeners begin to recognize when they too...

Abby and Kellee spend time exploring how important the context of our client’s lives are. They discuss being attuned with that context versus pushing feelings away, offering coping skills and offering quick fixes. Being with is identified as the most important thing therapists can do first.  Topics Touched on: Bonnie Badenoch: https://www.nurturingtheheart.com Robyn Gobbel- https://robyngobbel.com...

Abby and Kellee welcome listeners into community. They explore looking for a therapeutic home for therapists and clients alike. Abby and Kellee discuss balancing many therapeutic homes, finding “your people,” and journeying with them. They share the vulnerability that is present in seeking out community.  Topics Touched on: Bonnie: https://www.nurturingtheheart.com Lisa Dion: https://synergeticpla...

Abby and Kellee welcome listeners to season 4. The two share what they have been up to and begin to explore how therapists are in the presence of awe almost every day according to what Dacher Keltner defines as awe.  Topics Touched on: On Being with Krista Tippett: https://onbeing.org/programs/dacher-keltner-the-thrilling-new-science-of-awe/ Robyn Gobbel- https://robyngobbel.com The Heart of Winte...

Abby and Kellee bid listeners farewell as they end season 3. They reflect on the year, talking about love and loss for clients, supervisees, consultees, friends, family, and themselves. They of course weave in IPNB and even some EMDR around theirs and others experiences this season, and this year, touching on integration and meaning making.  Topics Touched on: Ways of Being by James Bridle: https:...