Laura Peroutka – Creative Living Counseling
As humans we are naturally driven to imagine, sculpt, mold, play, draw, design, experiment, birth, ideate, calculate, etc. At Creative Living Counseling, when words are not enough, we will utilize the safe, non-judgmental art/office space to engage
this natural instinct of creativity to navigate the world with intention, freedom and empowerment.
As a board certified art therapist and licensed counselor, my expertise has been to help individuals heal from trauma, explore identity, change disordered eating behaviors, develop a healthy body image, and work through loss and life transitions. I seek to help people who feel disempowered, disconnected or isolated – those who feel outside the “norm” or feel impacted by the home or social environment in which they were raised. I can assist highly sensitive individuals – often described as “too emotional” or “overly sensitive”- recognize their empathy as strength and see their hyper-attunement to their internal emotional experience and sensations from the outside world as unique and powerful gifts.
My style is empathetic and supportive, showing up to sessions with true authenticity. I am steady and willing to hold pain with clients in difficult moments, but often use my sense of humor to model self-acceptance and broaden perspective. I celebrate the small steps, seeking out the simple joys that can guide us through dark times.
I passionately believe in the value of a trusting therapeutic relationship, that can be deepened further through the creative process. The art in therapy engages the whole self. It promotes active involvement in the process through hands-on learning, experiential exploration, present moment processing, and provides the
opportunity for play and practice.
Email: laura@creativelivingcounseling.com
Phone: 314-730-2780
Services Offered:
- Individual Art Therapy and/or Counseling
- Adjunctive Art Therapy and Art Assessments
- Group Therapy
- Supervision (Individual or Group) for LPC licensure or ATR registration
On-site or Off-site
Creative Workshops/Art Therapy workshops- tailored to meet the needs of the client or group (i.e. intuitive painting, self-care for helpers, creative expressions in the everyday, art for non-artists, team-building)
Presentations – specialized on art therapy, body image, and eating disorders
Why work with Creative Living Counseling?
My hope is for people to feel stronger, more accepting, more whole, more clear, and more motivated for change.
Utilizing artistic expression and/or verbal discussion we will explore the function of undesired behaviors and challenge the inner critic that plagues our sense of self. We can learn to shift this self-criticism to self-curiosity, challenge fears that prevent change, understand core beliefs and unhealthy thinking patterns, relieve tension stored in the body, learn new practices of self-care, embrace the range of emotional experience, develop distress tolerance skills, identify authentic values, work to enhance relationships (to self and others), or explore spiritual connections. The therapeutic relationship within the walls of my office can be a safe space to heal wounds incurred against the body, mind and/or spirit.
We can also experience the depth and joy of making art and identify ways we can – or already – experience creativity in our everyday lives. Art therapy only requires willingness, not artistic expertise or natural talent. We each have unique ways of “making our mark” and have natural inclinations towards certain materials or modes of creation. We deepen our understanding of ourselves and our world when we create from intuition rather than expectation. Life requires us to live creatively, needing flexibility and the ability to adapt. We often must step into unknowns. The play and experimentation in art allows us to feel more comfortable letting go and
taking risks. The practice in looking at our creations from different angles, allows us to better see life situations through many lenses. In art, we can feel, be, think, do, know, and not know.
“I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn’t say any other way – things I had no words for.”
– Georgia O’Keeffe