What is the meaning of life? Existential Therapy
In this episode of The Art of Being a Therapist, hosts Morgen and Ashley sit down with guest (and Ashley's sister) Lindsay, whose winding path (early childhood education to school psychology to clinical social work) shaped her existential, LGBTQ+-affirming approach to therapy. Lindsay opens up about self-doubt, imposter syndrome, and learning to "just be" with clients instead of rushing to fix things. The conversation dives into boundaries and burnout, staying human as a therapist amid collective trauma and political stress, and what grad school did (and didn't) prepare her for.
Guest Bio:
Lindsay Colegrove, M. Ed., MSW, SWC, ADDC began her career in early childhood education, where she saw firsthand the impact that social-emotional and developmental challenges can have on children and their families. That experience led her to pursue graduate training in School Psychology before transitioning to Social Work in 2023 to more fully address the systemic and social factors that shape mental health and well-being. Today, Lindsay's work focuses on advocacy and policy, with a particular passion for LGBTQ+ mental health, anti-oppressive practice, and advancing equity through an intersectional lens. She believes healing happens when people feel genuinely seen, heard, and valued. Her therapeutic approach is warm, relational, and strengths-based, incorporating creativity, curiosity, and connection to help individuals navigate trauma, identity exploration, grief, anxiety, and life transitions while building deeper connections with themselves, their communities, and the possibilities for meaningful 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
