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Abby Esquivel

MSW, LCSW, RPT-S, ACS, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Founder and Clinical Director

Abby (she/her/ella) is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor. Abby is a bicultural therapist and is specifically passionate about providing care to the Latinx community. She has ten years of experience working with women and child survivors of trauma, toxic stress, and attachment injuries.

Prior to founding Be and Belong Counseling, Abby has experience providing services to runaway and homeless youth, adolescent girls in residential treatment, women residing in domestic violence shelters, and providing intensive in-home therapy to families formed through adoption.

 

Abby uses an attachment lens when working with children and adults. Some of the frameworks that inform her work include Interpersonal Neurobiology (IPNB), Polyvagal Theory, and she is a Circle of Security Parent Facilitator. She is an EMDRIA Approved Consultant and interweaves EMDR and expressive therapies in her work. She has a passion for helping people feel less alone and more connected to others. As the founder of Be and Belong, she is grateful every day for the team she gets to oversee, work with, and learn from.

 

When not working, you can find Abby going on a hike or reading a good book. She enjoys all things chocolate and is an avid gardener.

 

Bachelors of Social Work – Illinois State University
Masters of Social Work – University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignLicense #CSW.09924660

Abby also offers consultation and supervision to interns and clinicians working towards clinical licensure, their Registered Play Therapist credential, or EMDR Certification as an Advanced Clinical Supervisor (ACS) and EMDRIA Approved Consultant. She is currently accepting consultees and supervisees. Interested pre-licensed and licensed therapists can read and hear more about her consultation style through her blog and podcast at The Whole Therapist Institute. Please also feel free to reach out to Abby directly at abby@beandbelongcounseling.org.


See more about Abby's Upcoming 2024 EMDR Consultant in Training (CIT) Consultation Intensives here.

Supervision & Consultation

Cultural Resume

• I am Latina and moderately fluent in Spanish. My maternal ancestors are both Mexican and Apache. My paternal ancestors are German. Holding these ancestral narratives is part of my current inner work.

•  I have the lived experience of being a parent to three beautiful children.

• Substance abuse, gender-based violence, and anti-Latinx abuse run heavily in my family.

• I continue to do healing and unlearning around internalized ableism, racism, classism, and fatphobia which were negative influences in my upbringing.

• My privilege includes being white, educated, non-disabled, cisgender, a citizen, English-speaking, having consistent access to mental health care, and thin-bodied.

Meet the Team at Be and Belong Counseling

Abby Esquivel ›

MSW, LCSW, RPT-S, ACS,
EMDRIA Approved Consultant, Founder and Clinical Director

Diana Dykyj ›
MA, LPC, ATR-BC,
EMDR Trained
Cyndi Hawkes ›
MSW
Cat Ianni-Schlecht ›
MA, LPCC, NCC
Inez Garcia ›
MSW, Bilingual Spanish
Jacqui Case ›
MA, MFT-C,
EMDR Trained
Tim Reid ›

MA, LPCC

Maggie McEachern ›
MSW, LCSW,
Practice Manager
Nicole Whynott ›
MSW, LCSW, SOMB Juvenile Treatment Provider
Sang Lintakoon ›
MA, LPCC, NCC,
Theraplay Trained