Description

About Kate Keisel: Kate Keisel is the Co-CEO of the Sanar Institute, where she leads a diverse team providing trauma-conscious, person-centered care to individuals and communities impacted by interpersonal trauma. With over 15 years of global experience in anti-trafficking and trauma recovery across the U.S., Latin America, West Africa, and South Asia, Kate is a leader in building trauma-specific services worldwide. She holds a Master’s in Clinical Social Work focused on complex trauma and advanced training in EMDR, Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, and other healing modalities. Drawing from her own lived experience, Kate is committed to ensuring everyone has the tools, support, and agency to heal, thrive, and reclaim their lives after trauma.

In this episode, Lisa and Kate discuss:

• How Kate rediscovered her identity beyond being a CEO and trauma therapist
• The personal and professional shifts that came with chronic illness and burnout
• Redefining success from public recognition to quiet, sustainable impact
• The value of embodied healing practices and nature-based routines
• Practical tools for mental health recovery, including sensory kits and movement

Key Takeaways: 

• When leadership and service dominate your identity, it becomes easy to lose sight of who you are outside your professional role. Kate's journey highlights the importance of intentionally creating space for yourself to thrive.
• Success doesn’t always come with fanfare. Often, it’s the quiet, consistent contributions made away from the spotlight that create the most meaningful impact.
• Kate’s experience with chronic illness served as a turning point, forcing her to slow down and reassess what truly matters. That shift led her toward a life aligned with her values and capacity.
• True healing isn't found in perfect routines or instant fixes. Instead, it emerges slowly through presence, patience, and the repeated practice of nurturing your nervous system.
• Reconnecting with joy and spontaneity—whether through raising ducks, gardening, or playful movement—can revive the parts of you dulled by overwork or emotional exhaustion.

“The most rewarding part of this journey has been finally feeling at home in myself, like a little piece of calm has returned to my nervous system. There was a time I couldn’t imagine past the afternoon. Now, I can dream forward—and that sense of purpose fuels everything. Healing isn't about grand gestures; it's about choosing the little things—drinking water, taking vitamins, creating routines—and knowing those choices quietly change your life.”

- Kate Keisel

Connect with Kate Keisel: 

Website: https://sanar-institute.org/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-keisel-3a676041/ 

Connect with Lisa Thee:

Website: https://lisathee.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisathee/ 

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/lisa.thee.polvi 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisa_thee 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lisatheepolvi/ 

Lisa’s BOOK: Go!: Reboot Your Career in 90 Days 

Show notes by Podcastologist: Angelo Paul Tagama

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.