Meet Kate King: Licensed Professional Counselor & Board Certified Art Therapist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kate King and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kate, let’s start by talking about what inspires you?
Inspiration is an amazing force that connects the mind, heart, and soul. It is that spark of aliveness and wonder that can motivate action and create meaningful awareness. For me, inspiration is all around in every detail. I find that the big things are less inspiring to me because they are often filled with hype and grandeur, while the real gems are in the little things that are easy to miss if I’m not looking for them. A few weeks ago the frost of early Autumn came through Denver, and I took space in the quiet morning after the storm to walk in nature. My intention was not to exercise, connect socially with my neighbors, or to give my mind space to think. My intention was to simply notice. The ice crystals that formed around the grasses, thistles, and branches amazed me. It was like an entire universe was encased within each ice-covered plant. Each detail I saw was a unique and beautiful rendering of tiny ice sculptures woven together with the vitality of life. Inspiration came to me while looking at these natural dazzles, and I started thinking about the metaphors reflected in what occurred in this natural phenomenon. Thoughts about resiliency, the patience of life, the beauty of polarities coming together, the transience of all things, and much more filled my experience. The inspiration stayed with me all day, trickling into my sessions with clients as active, pertinent offerings that ran parallel to many of their internal experiences. This is how inspiration strikes me; in the seemingly normal, every day moments. Slowing down and noticing the exquisite detail surrounding me, slowing down to really take in a powerful passage in a book, reading between the lines in a conversation with a friend–this is where inspiration rests quietly, waiting to be awakened and integrated into daily practice. It’s all always right there, just waiting to be noticed. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I feel deeply grateful to be working in private practice with individual clients. Building my practice has been an ongoing process of evolution, growth, and meaningful work for me. In the early stages of my practice I infused my business with an enormous and genuine intention of success, and took great efforts to carry out that intention. It was pretty easy for me because it came from a heart-centered place where I really believed in the work and offerings I had to share with the world. I still feel this way. Belief tends to work like a magnet in that way, and it certainly does for me. I frequently receive feedback that clients experience my practice as being different from others they have worked with. They express feeling connection in our work that extends far beyond the surface, inviting them into aspects of themselves they often did not know were there. The work I do with clients is very deep and transformative, and clients can feel it in their cells. I fuse together various creative, spiritual, somatic, biological, and therapeutic modalities when I work with my clients. This provides them with a rich buffet of offerings they can dive into to bring about really magical changes within themselves and in their lives. Another aspect that I believe to be powerful is that I do a great deal of personal work on myself, and I am always growing, healing, and transforming in my own inner work. In this way I am a student alongside my clients, and I understand the process of healing and growth in a way that relates back to the humble knowing that we all have important work to do. I do not ask my clients to engage “the work” in ways I haven’t or wouldn’t do myself. I have had a great time developing some products that my clients and others can purchase. My book, “The Authentic Mother” is a companion book for new parents. It integrates various methods for creative expression and support that many new parents need during the important transition of welcoming a new baby. Additionally, I have created a set of oracle cards called the Ink and Wings Oracle. This deck is infused with magical and creative energies to help individuals gain insight and intuitive sense into their lives. Both of these offerings can be found on my website at www.KateKing.org, or on my Etsy page at www.etsy.com/shop/InkAndWings

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Denver is an amazing city with so much to offer! I would invite my friend to stay at my home in Morrison while they were here, but if they preferred a hotel I would recommend either the Crawford Hotel downtown in Union Station, or the Halcyon Hotel in Cherry Creek. We would definitely eat at Izakaya Den on South Pearl St. for great sushi one night, Cucina Colore in Cherry Creek for Italian, and Cafe Prague in downtown Morrison for amazing Czech food. I would definitely bring my friend hiking at Lair of the Bear and Golden Gate Canyon trails if it were Summertime, or in the Winter we would spend time skiing Winter Park and Mary Jane and cross country skiing at Devil’s Thumb Ranch. I also would love to accompany my friend to the Buell Theater to see a show, or to Red Rocks Amphitheater for a great concert.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
So many amazing people, opportunities, and inspirations are fused into the story of my success in the work I do. At the forefront is my family (my husband and kids, Danny, Bridger, and Heidi), and my dear friend Becca. Without the love, support, and encouragement of these incredible humans I just don’t know where I would be in the world. In addition, my incredible professors at Naropa University helped me chart my direction and provided essential teachings that built my foundation. Along the way I have cultivated meaningful friendships with colleagues that support and nourish my practice, and sourced teachings from many brilliant minds in books, podcasts, and trainings. To name a few, the work of Dr. Dan Siegel, Dr. Joe Dispenza, Brene Brown, Glennon Doyle, John Kabbat Zinn, Dr, Richard Schwartz, and Pema Chodron have all been incredibly meaningful and important influences over the years.

Website: www.KateKing.org
Instagram: @KateKingTherapy
Facebook: Kate King Art Therapy & Psychotherapy, PLLC