The Self-Care Workshop is Back

Are you ready to stop running on empty and start living from a place of wholeness?

Join me, alongside Ally Fallon (best selling author + writing coach) and Koula Callahan (yoga teacher + speaker), for an unforgettable day of enneagram insight, intentional writing, and embodied movement — what I call the trifecta of true self-care.

This isn’t just another wellness event.
It’s a restorative experience designed to help you:

✨ Know yourself more deeply through the lens of the Enneagram
✨ Create a self-care plan that actually works for you
✨ Write your way toward clarity, alignment, and renewal
✨ Ground your body through yoga + sound bath therapy
✨ Nourish yourself with gourmet meals, spacious reflection, and soul-aligned community

We’ll also gather the evening before (Friday, Oct. 10) for an optional VIP dinner to connect in an intimate setting and set the tone for the magic to come.

Because here’s the truth:
We can’t keep giving from a place of depletion.
We need a plan. We need support. We need real self-compassion.

This workshop will show you how to build that foundation—not through quick fixes, but by returning to who you really are and giving her the care she’s been craving.

Spots are limited! Go ahead and mark it on your calendar.  Early bird pricing starts in two weeks!

Let this be the day you say yes to yourself…(and everyone else you love as a result!)

Love & Gratitude,
Katie

The Back to School Edit

Somewhere between the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and the first rustle of fall leaves, we’re invited into a familiar rhythm—one that feels both nostalgic and energizing. Whether or not you have a backpack in your life anymore, the back-to-school season has a way of nudging us to recalibrate, recommit, and reset. It’s not just for students. It’s for all of us seeking a deeper sense of alignment and intention.

So, in the spirit of fresh starts and nourishing structure, I’m sharing The Back-to-School Edit—a curated collection of the ways we can work together this fall to help you grow, heal, and reconnect with what matters most.

✨ The Enneagram Mastermind Series

Starts September | In-person in Nashville
This is for the women who want more—a deeper connection to their purpose, clarity in leadership, and the support of a soulful community. The Enneagram Mastermind is an eight-month in-person journey designed for creatives, professionals, and seekers ready to move from self-awareness to embodied impact. Each session blends powerful Enneagram insights with actionable tools, reflection, and conversation that’s as real as it is transformative.  And, the best part? You will meet some of the most incredible, like-minded friends…all over a delicious lunch.  

👉 More details and registration here

📚 The Experiential Book Club

Kicks off August | Virtual
We’re reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins this season, and as always, we’ll integrate the Enneagram, therapeutic practices, and group discussion that goes way beyond your average book club. These monthly 90-minute sessions are spacious, supportive, and just the right blend of introspection and inspiration.

👉 Join us — Register here!

🛁 Save the Date: Self-Care Workshop

October 11, 2025 | Nashville
This one’s for anyone feeling a little crispy around the edges. (Hi, yes—me too.) Our full-day in-person workshop will blend embodiment, self-reflection, and Enneagram insight to help you redefine self-care in a way that actually sustains you. More details to come, but consider this your official permission slip to put yourself on the calendar.

💛 Ways to Work Together One-on-One

• Therapy (TN residents): If you’re seeking  psychotherapy that weaves together narrative, somatic, IFS, and Enneagram-informed modalities, I’d love to connect.

• Couples Enneagram Intensives: A deeply supportive half or full-day deep dive to help you and your partner uncover patterns, rebuild communication, and reconnect through the lens of your Enneagram types.

• Team & Corporate Enneagram Workshops: From creative agencies to leadership teams, I offer half- and full-day immersive experiences to help groups work more consciously, compassionately, and effectively together. If you want to bring this work into your company or organization this fall, now’s the time to book.

Whether you’re craving a new rhythm, a safe place to land, or a powerful next step, I hope something in this Back-to-School Edit resonates. Fall has a way of bringing us back to ourselves—and I’d be honored to walk alongside you.

Love & Gratitude,
Katie

🖤 P.S. Want to stay in the loop about new offerings and events?
follow along on Instagram @katiegustafson.co for all the updates.

How to Find the Right Therapist

Today, we’re getting real practical.  Let’s be honest: therapy feels a bit odd, awkward, and down right uncomfortable in the first place. How in the world does one go about finding a therapist who will not only make the first wobbly steps somewhat bearable, but also turn out to be someone we actually like?  And yes, contrary to popular belief, you’re going to need to like your therapist in order to trust them, let alone experience growth and healing.  

I had this conversation with my therapist a few weeks back.  Whereas I don’t believe we’re always supposed to be “in therapy,” I’ve always valued the sacred space of therapy as a sounding board and a refiner’s fire so to speak.  In other words, no matter what season I’m in, I depend on my therapist to challenge me, call my BS (bullshit and blindspots), and serve as a loving mirror when the reflection I see is less than compelling.  

Whether you’re in a tight transition or a season of loss, it’s imperative to reach out and find the help you need.  As someone who’s sat in therapy far longer as a client than a therapist, I relate to the struggle of finding the right fit.  It’s real.  Today,  I want to unpack this process as much as possible.  You’ve already got enough on your plate. 

Prep-work

Before launching on your quest, there’s some necessary prep-work.  Often times, it can be the most difficult part of the process.  

The first step is always to get still, spend about 10-15 minutes alone, and ask yourself what it is you’re needing in therapy.  This may seem obvious, but it’s not.  Oftentimes, we’re operating in crisis.  The survival strategies involved in crisis don’t provide much of a margin for conscious self-reflection.  It’s important to give yourself a small window of time and ask yourself three questions: a) what you need and b) what you want from therapy c) as well as, what obstacle ccurrently stands in the way of getting therapy? I find it easiest to write this pertinent information down in a journal or notebook.  This content will serve as a roadmap for the journey ahead.  

Once you’ve taken the time to explore these questions, here are five helpful guidelines to follow: 

The Quest

1. Logistics- Let’s get the unsexy bit out of the way.  First things first, you need to get clear on practical parameters such as location, budget, male vs. female, type of therapy (individual/couples/family), availability, and whether or not they offer a sliding scale or the opportunity to use insurance.  These will steer the next several steps accordingly.  It’s worth noting that while some practitioners do accept insurance, some insurance policies only allow for a minimum amount of sessions they will cover, making ongoing therapy an out-of-pocket expense.   Again, all good things to consider and inquire about based on your needs and privacy preferences.  Good Therapy and Psychology Today have wonderful directories and often provides answers to several of these basic questions.

2. Referral- Ideally, finding referrals from those who know you personally is the best place to start be it an existing physician, family member, pastor, or friend.  If possible, I always encourage people to start with their current sphere of influence when looking for therapist recommendations.  This is where I’ve always had the most luck. 

3. Style- Just like with dating, you’re not for everyone.  No matter how fabulous you are, you won’t be compatible with everyone attractive you meet (*sigh). I tell people this up front in therapy all the time.  I can’t help everyone and am quick to practice transparency when I feel another therapist might be more equipped to support someone with specific needs I don’t feel qualified to meet.  Do you want a no-nonsense, directive approach in therapy or would you prefer a softer, more indirect style?  (Or something in between? ) Do you seek a therapist who is faith-based? Do you appreciate someone of a specific age? These qualifiers will hopefully show up in the prep-work listed above.  

4. Expertise- If you’ve done therapy before and know certain modalities or tools that work for you, it’s important to bring this insight into your search.  Interviewing a handful of possible therapists is important so as to understand their approach and expertise.  Do you want to explore the Enneagram in your work? Do you need a grief or addictions specialist? Do you prefer brain-based therapies such as EMDR or Brainspotting?  Do you like talk-therapy or more of an experiential technique?  Do you need group therapy in addition to individual and which therapists provide this?  

5. Consult-  Most therapist will offer a free 15-30 minute phone consult.  You’re about to invest time and resources into the therapeutic process.  It’s vital to understand a bit more about the experience, training, and approach to therapy they have.  I always encourage this as sometimes we just need an opportunity to suss it out in a quick conversation.  Email is a great starting point, however I always like to get a feel for communication style and energy on the phone.  Having as many of the prior steps filled out is bonus so as to be able to clearly ask as many questions as possible.  (Also worth noting, if you need to stay within a budget, therapists who are newer to the field or working towards licensure will often provide a sliding scale rate based on your income.)

And listen, often times this “pre-production” business is a luxury.  Therapy is often a last resort as we find ourselves amidst chaos, crisis, and loss.  In these times, simply taking the brave first step to start therapy with someone and trusting the process to unfold as it should is all we can do.  

P.S. As a helpful checklist, I’ve posted The Cheatsheet: A no-hassle guide to finding the right therapist on my website!  Click here to download a free guide.  

Oh, P.S.S.  This goes without saying, but I’d LOVE to serve as a resource for you on your quest.  If you have questions for me, or need referrals, I’ve got some incredible ones for you.  Please reach out.

Love & Gratitude,

Katie 

Slowing Down to Go Further

We live in a culture that worships acceleration. More meetings, more content, more emails, more hustle, more ACTIVITY.  And yet—so many of us are running on fumes, sprinting toward burnout in the name of productivity.

Here’s the truth I’m learning a lot about lately, in both my personal life and professional life: sometimes the fastest way forward is actually to slow down.

Slowing down isn’t laziness. It’s leadership. It’s wisdom. It’s saying, I value sustainability over speed. I want my next move to be from alignment, not anxiety.

It often starts with a simple—yet deeply uncomfortable—word: No.

No to the invitation that feels more obligatory than meaningful.

No to the opportunity that’s good on paper but out of step with your values.

No to the version of yourself that’s addicted to proving, pleasing, or performing.

When we press pause, we create space for clarity.

And clarity is everything.

This summer, I’ve been learning (again) that pause is not punishment—it’s permission.

Permission to re-root in what matters.

Permission to check in with the values I say I live by and ask myself if my calendar actually reflects them.

Permission to choose rest, to wander a little, to trust that my worth isn’t in how much I accomplish, but in how fully I show up—to my people, to my calling, and to myself.

In Enneagram language, each type has its own version of this work.

• Type Threes might need to slow down long enough to ask: Who am I when I’m not achieving?

• Nines may need to recognize that true rest requires engagement, not escape.

• Sevens might have to sit still in discomfort and trust that missing out can be just as rich. (Read: JOMO).

Slowing down invites us to recalibrate. To remember what’s essential and release what’s performative. It’s not easy work, but it’s holy work. It’s the kind of recalibration that brings us back into integrity—with our hearts, our bodies, our dreams.

So here’s your gentle invitation:

Press pause.

Say no.

Create space.

And trust that in doing so, you’re actually building the foundation for something deeper, more durable, and wildly more alive.

Because going further doesn’t mean going faster.

It means going truer.

This requires vision. And that always starts with slowing down.

Love & Gratitude,
Katie

⸻

Want more of this kind of soul-fueled reflection with a side of Enneagram wisdom? Join me for the Experiential Book Club this August—we’re reading The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins and digging into what it means to let go so we can move forward with more freedom, clarity, and courage.

3 Myths About Self-Care (and #2 Might Surprise You)

You would be shocked how many times I’ve heard these two responses to the question: 

“How do you practice self-care?” In therapy.  Here they are:

1. “What’s that?”

2. “Not very often.  It feels selfish.”

Thankfully, if you’ve had these same reflexes, you’re not alone. There’s no shame. This just means we’re a little confused about our most important relationship: the one with ourself.  

And I know what you’re thinking, “Spare me.  Sounds so indulgent.”  

However, do you expect your car to run on empty?  Do you drive it around for months on end without gas or an oil change?  I’m not even a car person, but I know to pay attention when that glorious red light signals E, nudging me to the nearest Twice Daily.

Let’s take it a step further.  Do you expect your nearest and dearest relationships to thrive without an occasional phone call, text or date night reminding them of your love and appreciation?  

Again, I’m guessing you’re pretty good at showing others you care.  In fact, you’re probably great at it.  Why?  Because it’s socially accepted—even encouraged— and there’s an immediate reward on the other side.  When we show intrinsic kindness to others, we are often appreciated back in some way.  

So why do we neglect the one relationship that is the most constant and powerful of all? Make no mistake, I’m a person of deep faith who believes in and loves God.  Yet, even John Calvin said, “Without knowledge of self, there is no knowledge of God.”

If we practice self-care and learn how to relate to ourselves in a kind and compassionate way, we are then primed to love the world in a more authentic, generous way. 

If you’re still on the fence, I want to bust a few myths you might buy into that hold you back from practicing some necessary self-care:

1. Self-care is selfish:

This is a biggie.  However, self-care is actually highly responsible, adult behavior.  It’s learning to take care of yourself instead of obsessively tending to other people.  In doing so, we learn that part of our job here on earth is to be responsible for our needs and desires instead of undermining them for the sake of others. 

Right before take-off, the flight attendant does her thing and gives you instruction for safe travel.  The part that always sticks with me is when she says to first put on your oxygen mask before that of others, even small children.  We love others better when we start with ourselves.  

2. Self-care takes too much time and effort

“I don’t have time for self-care.” I hear this a lot, especially from fellow mamas.  I quickly retort, “Well do you have time for a mental or physical breakdown?”  The answer is always no. 

Self-care is made up of a loving mindset that allows for tiny, two-degree shifts in behavior towards yourself.  I’m not asking you to soak in a bubble bath all day, I’m asking you to start regarding yourself with kindness.  Start listening to your needs and take tiny actions to meet them.  

3.  I don’t deserve self-care

Friend, if this is your unconscious go-to belief, you may be carrying a heavy, hurtful burden.  I know from experience there is another way.  Perhaps the first place to start is a trusted friend or therapist to unpack past experiences or relationships that led you to believe this.  Your birthright as a human being is to have needs and desires and get them met.   You’re invited into the feast of wholeness just because you’re here and you’re you.  Please reach out if you feel alone in this space.  

Love & Gratitude,

Katie

P.S. The Self-Care Workshop is coming BACK Oct. 11th.  Registration will open mid-August…mark your calendars now and stay tuned for early-bird pricing!!!