We recently connected with Kate King and have shared our conversation below.

Kate, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Do you think your parents have had a meaningful impact on you and your journey?
My parents allowed my sister and me to make our own mistakes. They didn’t jump in and try to bail us out of every sticky situation, though they always remained available for us when we asked for help. They taught me about trust and responsibility with this behavior, and I try to parent my own children with this inspiration in mind.

Of course, there were times when I broke my parents’ trust or ended up in a problematic situation because of making questionable decisions like a typical kid/teen. I was far from perfect. When this happened, my parents didn’t meet me with shame and harsh punishment. They approached me calmly, with curiosity, and taught me to take accountability for the actions I took that landed me in the mess I had created.

I remember once when I was a young teen, I lied to my Mom about where I would be spending the night, and instead stayed somewhere else. Of course she found out, and met me the next morning with that knowing look only a Mom can give. She didn’t scream or shout, only calmly told me that she knew the truth. She then asked me to write letters of apology to her and the other moms of my friends who had all been worried when they discovered we all weren’t where we said we’d be.
I learned my lesson.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Board Certified Art Therapist, and I have been in practice for 15 years. My private practice is located in Littleton, CO. I work with individuals and couples, and I facilitate group retreats for deep healing. I feel incredibly lucky that I get to engage in work I love every day. Witnessing the healing, growth, and repair of my clients is such an honor.

My method of therapy is an eclectic blend of the various professional trainings I have taken, as well as the learnings I have personally undergone in the school of life and the teachings of my incredible mentors and guides along the way. My approach blends together science, creativity, spirituality, and psychology. I believe in each person’s inherent wholeness, and their ability to heal no matter what their life has delivered to them. I see myself as a guide to offer new tools and techniques, and to provide mirroring and support as my clients learn to navigate their journey in new ways.

I specialize in helping my clients up-level their life when they feel ready to take that big leap into new realms of joy, life satisfaction, and well-being. Much of my work with clients surrounds deep trauma, mental health challenges, engaging life’s setbacks and barriers, and transitioning into new stages of life like parenthood. My book “The Authentic Mother” is a creatively-based companion book for new parents to help them navigate their transition with creativity, science, and affirming support.

The biggest piece of feedback I receive from my clients is that my style of therapy feels different than anything they’ve experienced before— more transformative. I often meet with new clients who have been in therapy before, many for years, and they have not found the relief or healing they intrinsically know is possible. In our work together, we delve deeply into accessing layers of their psyche and spirit that have been patiently waiting to be engaged. Through this process many clients find that they can heal more deeply than ever before, and access unimaginable growth within themselves.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
We get so innundated with cultural and societal beliefs and values that most people don’t stop to think, “do I really believe this? Does this really align with who I am and who I want to be?”

Much of my personal inner work has been related to unlearning so many of the “should” or “supposed-to” stories I learned to believe throughout my life, and re-wiring my system to intentionally build an inner value and belief circuitry that has the deep integrity and congruity with who I actually am and who I want to be. This means sometimes I don’t behave according to societal norms. At times I say no to something society really wants me to say yes to. Sometimes this irritates people, or makes waves in my world, but nonetheless I’ve learned to prioritize my own integrity over the expectations and obligations of others.

Much of what I was taught growing up had to do with being a “good girl” and was related to a perfectionistic high-achieving story that really didn’t leave a lot of room for mistakes or human flaw. I have intentionally worked with this narrative and unlearned the beliefs connected with it so that I can now allow space for imperfection, mistakes, and even allowing myself to put down the vigorous engine of achievement to access rest and repair.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I walk my talk, and people know it. Building my business was one thing, but sustaining it has been a completely different story.

In the beginning, I built my business by channeling high-energy and intention into attracting clients and building a strong community and referral network. I met other therapists and different healing, education, and medical professionals for networking dates, and worked diligently to build a strong website and online presence. This was just the beginning, though.

Once I had a full practice of vibrant clients, the quality of the work I gave to them was crucial. I always made sure to show up with my full presence in each session, see every single client for their uniqueness, and tailor sessions to meet the stage they were actively in. Delivering quality therapeutic support requires continuous engagement in my own learning and growth process as well. In addition to keeping up to speed with the latest studies and science, I am always engaged in learning and healing within myself so that I can work with my clients from a stable, informed state of being.

My clients can attest to the fact that I never ask them to engage any process I haven’t already explored myself, or wouldn’t be willing to traverse if necessary. I am very transparent about the fact that we are all journeying together through this thing called Life, and I take ownership over my own story and my own process. Simply, I walk my talk. And this helps me provide services to my clients that are informed not just by books and lectures, but by the ongoing practice of engaging with life through the very modalities I teach.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.KateKing.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/katekingtherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/katekingarttherapy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katekingtherapy/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/katekingtherapy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChxGCo2H8iWIReg8X6ADubg

Image Credits
Portrait photos of Kate are by Where My Mind Wanders