Kirsten Laurel, MA, ATR-P, LMHCA
Hello! My name is Kirsten.
Kirsten Laurel, MA, ATR-P, LMHCA
I am an art therapist and counselor who works with individuals, teens 13+, and adults in Washington state. I received my MA from Antioch University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy, along with a certificate in Trauma Therapy.
My counseling approach is grounded in an attentive respect for the wisdom of our bodies. I believe that it is my role to walk alongside you as you discover and move the roadblocks so that your body and mind can do the healing that it does so well. It is important that we honor this wisdom by listening to all the different parts of ourselves, and by understanding that many issues that we see as problematic on the surface are in fact very clever solutions to coping with pain and suffering. When we work together in therapy to address the reasons behind our impulses and automatic behaviors, it increases our awareness and opens doors to making intentional choices that shape your life. This places the power back in your hands to live in a way that aligns with your values. Therapy is about co-creating the conditions where you can encounter yourself more deeply, and where you can learn to engage life with greater authenticity.
I emphasize building trust, encouraging a connection to self, and emotional attunement in order to help clients create a sense of resilience. It is important to me that I work flexibly depending on the unique needs of the person in front of me. For me this means open communication and adjusting our work based on what is working well or not so well, and balancing gentleness with compassionate challenge.
I conceptualize and practice through the lens of attachment theory, polyvagal theory, the expressive therapies continuum, and existential theory. I see my sessions with clients not as centered around diagnosis and pathology, but as meetings with other humans in the midst of their own unique stories as they search for courage, purpose, and meaning in the face of life’s difficulties. I aim to practice from a stance of openness, presence, connection, and respect for the mystery of existence.
As our minds and bodies are so intricately linked, you can expect in our work together that we will explore the ways that our bodies and minds speak to us about our emotions. We will ask questions about what messages are being sent to us through our physical state. We may use body movement through art and body posturing to activate the vagus nerve and cultivate a sense of calm and groundedness. We can look together at ways to support your body as you heal, process hard experiences, and support your overall emotional well-being.
Please see the About Art Therapy tab to learn about the process of art therapy and what it entails. I am both a clinical mental health counselor associate and an art therapist so I am able to combine talk therapy modalities with creative modalities and somatic work. I can tailor what this looks like depending on the client and their needs and comfort levels with these different tools.
About me
In my free time I love to be outside and spend time with my loved ones including my three cats. I am passionate about art of all kinds, hiking, gardening, and learning about nature. I use therapeutic artmaking in my own self-care practice. Some of my favorite creative modalities include ceramics, weaving, watercolor, poetry/writing, and collage. My background includes ten years as an art teacher to students from preschool-aged children to older adults. I love watching people grow through their creative process and learning what they are capable of.
