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When words collapse under the weight of trauma, symbols step in with clarity and care. We sit down with Anna Gomez to explore how EMDR and sand tray therapy, used together, create a safer path into memory networks, one that honors culture, protects against flooding, and invites healing to unfold at the nervous system’s pace. From the first touch of sand to the choice of a miniature, the tray becomes a living map of autonomic states, attachment patterns, and dissociative parts, allowing clients to express what feels unsayable.

We dive into implicit reprocessing, the crucial phase in which a client can work through terror and shame without immediate ownership. Think “the llama is scared” before “I was scared.” That gentle distance isn’t avoidance; it’s precision. With a polyvagal lens, we track state shifts and titrate EMDR activation like microdosing, choosing backdoor entries to memory when the front door overwhelms. For migrants, bilingual clients, and anyone facing loyalty binds or language fragmentation, symbolic work respects the realities of identity and safety while building a bridge back to words.

Clinicians at every level will find both depth and practicality here. Anna shares how to blend EMDR protocols with relational attunement, moment-to-moment decisions, and culturally grounded meaning-making. We discuss composite case patterns that reveal disorganized attachment in the tray, show how ownership often arises organically over time, and underline why therapist regulation is the anchor for complex trauma. If you’ve ever wished EMDR felt less flooding or talk therapy less confining, this conversation offers a humane, research-aligned alternative that is as structured as it is spacious.

Ready to rethink how healing begins? Listen, share with a colleague, and if it resonates, subscribe and leave a review. Your support helps more therapists and clients find this work.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Erika brings Dungeons & Dragons into therapy sessions, creating transformative healing experiences for clients through role-playing games and character development.

• Using D&D with clients to build characters and create new therapy modalities
• Personal journey with D&D helping develop real-world skills like confrontation
• Client's story of choosing friendship over combat reveals therapeutic needs
• Facing resistance from traditional play therapy circles despite proven effectiveness
• Creating accessible D&D sand tray therapy tools for therapists with no gaming experience
• Challenging therapy systems that reject innovation they don't understand
• Advocating for evolution in play therapy to meet clients where they are

Try incorporating elements of role-playing games into your work with clients. Consider how games provide narrative frameworks that enable clients to express their needs and process emotions in ways that traditional therapy might not reach.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Miranda shares how we can create the life we want by letting go of fear and embracing our authentic selves through the removal of protective armor that no longer serves us.

• Exploring how our "armor" protects us from vulnerability but also prevents authentic connection
• Teaching children to question their protective responses rather than automatically armoring up
• Understanding how burnout happens when therapists try to "save" clients instead of supporting their journey
• Recognizing when comparisons to idealized therapist images cause us unnecessary suffering
• Learning to pause and reconnect with our true desires and dreams
• Identifying generational patterns and cultural expectations that form our protective barriers
• Finding humor and joy as tools for connection even during difficult conversations
• Acknowledging that asking for help builds community and allows others to experience the joy of giving

When you find yourself getting stuck in old patterns, put your hand on your heart, take a deep breath, and ask yourself: "If I gave you permission to dream big and have whatever you wanted come true because you're worth it, what would that be?"

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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We explore how pursuing personal passions, such as travel, can serve as a powerful burnout prevention strategy for therapists, with special guest Allison Rimland sharing her journey after losing her father and discovering the world of travel hacking.

• Allison shares how her father's sudden death prompted her to reconsider priorities and follow her parents' example of making travel a life priority.
• Introduction to travel hacking through home exchanges and credit card points as affordable ways to explore the world
• Discussion of the unique burnout challenges faced by supervisors who carry both their clients' stories and those of their supervisees
• Exploration of the question "If you could do anything with your time right now, what is lighting you up inside?"
• How practicing what we preach about boundaries and self-care looks different for each person
• The importance of challenging the "work now, live later" mentality that leads to burnout
• Practical ways group practice owners can model healthy work-life integration
• Why telehealth and flexibility create opportunities for "slow travel" and more profound experiences
• How listening to what naturally energizes you can guide career pivots and burnout prevention

Consider what you're already researching, talking about, and drawn to in your free time; this inner wisdom might be pointing toward what will truly energize and sustain you in your practice.

https://travelhackingtherapist.com/

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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The secret evolution of therapists that nobody talks about in graduate school - from survival mode to seasoned professional, Maria and Liliana crack open the unspoken developmental journey that shapes our careers and lives as mental health professionals.

Remember that idealistic student who entered the field ready to change lives? Then reality hit - staggering student debt met with jobs (not careers) where you felt easily replaceable rather than valued. This episode compassionately maps the typical progression: freshly-licensed clinician in survival mode, licensed professional accumulating certifications, supervisor carrying tremendous liability, and eventually perhaps trainer or presenter sharing knowledge with others.

What makes this conversation truly revolutionary is the permission slip Maria and Liliana extend to every listener. You're allowed to change specialties. You're allowed to question your path. You're allowed to integrate your values, your understanding of social justice, and your life experiences into your professional identity. The days of therapists as "blank slates" are long gone - we recognize now that political, economic and social realities exist in the therapy room whether acknowledged or not.

Take a moment to appreciate how far you've come, assess whether your current position aligns with your values, and consider what might be next on your journey. Whether you're just starting out or decades into practice, remember that your professional evolution belongs to you - not to expectations, traditions, or economic necessities. Your next chapter awaits whenever you're ready to turn the page.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Professional identity formation is a crucial yet often overlooked process for preventing burnout and achieving fulfillment in the mental health field.

• Burnout symptoms closely mirror those of an identity crisis
• Many clinicians experience burnout within just 2-5 years of practice
• Professional identity involves aligning personal values with professional work
• Transitioning from training to practice requires developing your voice
• Navigating insurance systems often creates value conflicts
• Mixed messages from employers create professional confusion
• Finding role models helps shape your professional identity
• A strong professional identity acts as a GPS for career decisions
• Professional identity formation is an ongoing process, not a destination
• Diversity in therapeutic approaches strengthens the field

If you're feeling lost or questioning your career choice, remember there is a place for you in this field, even if you have to create it yourself. Take time to explore your values and find the environments that support your authentic professional self.

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Liliana joins us to preview her two upcoming workshops at the SITH conference in Las Cruces this October, focusing on cultural humility in mental health and ethical supervision practices. Her unique approach combines her experience as a migrant, her passion for ethics, and her training across multiple supervision models to offer fresh perspectives that go beyond stereotypical checklists.

• Liliana will present two workshops: "Beyond Borders: Culturally Responsive & Ethical Care in Play Therapy and Mental Health" and "Supervising with Caution: Legal Pitfalls and Protections in Play Therapy"
• Unlike typical trainings that focus on stereotypes and checklists, Liliana brings dialogue, unique language, and lived experience to cultural humility
• As an MFT supervisor trained in multiple models, she approaches supervision through diverse lenses rather than a single framework
• Ethics serve as Liliana's self-care - she literally reads codes of ethics for fun and actively participates in revising them
• Both cultural competence and ethics require continuous learning as they constantly evolve
• Having ethical guidelines helps clinicians manage anxiety when facing challenging cases
• The SITH conference is filling up quickly - registration information is available in the show notes

Register for the SITH conference today to experience these workshops and connect with Liliana and other mental health professionals in Las Cruces this October.

https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon

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Maria introduces the SITH (Supportive Innovation for Therapeutic Heroes) conference, taking place in Las Cruces this October, featuring her session, "Rooted and Resilient: Healing Ourselves While we Heal Systems."

• SITH conference provides in-person learning with a fun, geeky pop culture vibe for therapists
• Maria's session focuses on therapist self-healing while working in depleting systems
• Conference specifically addresses court-involved cases and high-stress clinical situations
• Session will explore expressive arts, journaling, and sand work as self-healing modalities
• Honest discussions about systems that make clinical work difficult, including sociopolitical and family systems
• Opportunity for clinicians to replenish personal resources needed to sustain their work

Register now through the link in the podcast description to join us at the SITH conference!
https://www.anewhopeacademy.org/sith25

A Hero's Welcome Podcast © Maria Laquerre-Diego & Liliana Baylon