Today, we’d like to introduce you to Kate King.
Hi Kate, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have always been a curious, creative person, and early on, I discovered the link between my curiosity and the fields of art and psychology. Art Therapy and Psychotherapy became a natural interest as I pursued higher education, which propelled me into various types of clinical exposure and, ultimately, private practice.
After years of working with clients, while also pursuing my own personal healing journey, authorship became an appealing medium for teaching and connection.
It struck me during the Covid-19 pandemic that writing books would allow me to help more people than my one-on-one practice allowed for, so I delved in with my publication of “The Radiant Life Project: Awaken Your Purpose, Heal Your Past, and Transform Your Future” with my publisher, Rowman & Littlefield.
With a larger collective imprint in mind at that juncture, I began to offer public speaking and coaching services such as online workshops and in-person transformational holistic retreats. These additions have become gratifying new branches of my work.
We all face challenges, but would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am grateful that it has felt like a very aligned journey for me, this meaningful career I have built. I owe that mostly to the strong value I place in following what I call my “true North compass,” or my authenticity. Honestly, I have never been a very effective shape-shifter, so most of what I have built comes from the genuineness of my true self and the effective channeling of my gifts and skill set into the design of my business.
Throughout the nearly two decades of my career, I have listened to the whisperings of my inner self and honored them. When it was time to specialize, I did. Ramp-up? No problem. When burnout struck, and I needed rest, I carved out the time and financial plan for a sabbatical. When a pivot from psychotherapy to life coaching seemed the best course, I heeded the call and thoughtfully steered my work in alignment with my energy level, professional desires, and authentic response to those I work with.
One hurdle I have had to navigate, however, is the way so many entrepreneurs and small businesses have learned to use social media platforms for marketing and branding. When I stepped into authorship, a large “platform” or “following” became quite important. Unfortunately, this is the way publishers often see value in prospective authors because large followings equal more book sales (Is this true? I’m not actually sure). With the intention of reaching a larger audience and growing my platform, I have delved into the social media universe, and to tell you the truth, I don’t love it.
The pitfalls so many researchers are finding to be detrimental to our mental health, self-esteem, and energy levels with social media directly oppose the priorities I hold dear. When I think to myself, “What is the purpose of this? What is the cost to my health and well-being?” it feels like a large price to pay for the illusive rewards it promises (but never seems to deliver in full). That said, there will be changes to my social media engagement in the coming months. Stay tuned…
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a board-certified art therapist, my background as an artist lends a unique quality to my work as a mental health professional. By working with metaphors, cathartic release, and meaningful expression through the creative process, I am able to support those I work with in a special way that helps them learn a new tool to connect with themselves. Art offers a magical back door into the psyche, so when it is used therapeutically (or in what I call Radiant Life Coaching), it can unlock deep personal insight, awareness, reflection, and healing.
I have enjoyed weaving my art therapeutic background into my writing process in my recent book, “The Radiant Life Project,” and other writing projects. It is gratifying to show others the power of creative expression, and I love talking about this topic at workshops, retreats, and on big stages as well. Especially with those who feel intimidated by creative expression or do not identify as artists, it is wonderful to witness those I work with lean into this generative experience of creative expression.
I had a professor in grad school who encouraged art therapists to continue their art-making practice to keep the sublimation and creativity flowing through ourselves alongside our clients. I have enjoyed witnessing my creative expression shift and develop as I move through life, heal my trauma, and grow into new versions of myself. Witnessing the healing power of art in myself and those I work with never ceases to be a powerful experience.
We’d love to hear what you think about risk-taking.
Oh, risk. The excitement and the fear it stirs up. I think, ultimately, that risk-taking is positive, but only when it has been considered thoughtfully and executed with a plan. It’s when people dive into risk-taking impulsively that I get a little squirmy and wonder how it’s going to unfold for them. But when someone taps into their inner bravery and reaches toward a goal, dream, connection, or experiment they feel passionate about with their eyes wide open–yea, I can get on board with that. In fact, so many of the joys and successes I have enjoyed in my life are direct results of the courageous act of taking a risk.
One such risk that delivered positive rewards was my recent leap from a lengthy psychotherapy career to a new start as a Radiant Life Coach. In the world of licensed clinicians, life coaching is not often viewed positively. Mostly, I think, this is because coaching is a largely unregulated field that can inappropriately blur with psychotherapy, and coaches generally lack the skillset necessary to ethically explore and hold space for complex dysregulation and destabilization that can occur with deep trauma healing and mental health work. With a background as a licensed clinician, however, I felt that it would be ethical for me to step into coaching. So, I re-branded as a coach and said goodbye to many longstanding clients and professional connections that no longer fit my new trajectory.
Was it scary at first? Of course! Change always is. And this was a big one, against the grain of many in my industry. It was wildly different from the plug-and-play business I had built over nearly 20 years. Though I’m still navigating the unfolding of my new direction as a Radiant Life Coach, I must say that so far, it is working out beautifully. I now attract clients who are in greater alignment with the type of work I enjoy most–deep, transformational healing related to next-level well-being and the cultivation of a Radiant Life–and I have facets of my work such as authorship, retreats and workshops, and public speaking that feel exciting and impactful to me.
So, when it comes to risk-taking, definitely do it. Just do it thoughtfully.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theradiantlifeproject.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/theradiantlifeproject
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRadiantLifeProject/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/theradiantlifeproject/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChxGCo2H8iWIReg8X6ADubg
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Kate-King/author/B00N5872SC?ref=ap_rdr&store_ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true
Image Credits
Jewel Afflerbaugh
