Ep.20 - Painting Your Soul: A Creative Approach to Emotional Therapy - Interview With Karen Henlon

The Forever Young Show

Karen Hanlon, the visionary behind Painting Your Soul, Inc., is an art therapy practitioner, former educator, author, and international speaker from Florida. As an educator, Karen witnessed firsthand how painting and writing calmed and empowered her students, boosting their self-esteem. However, it was during a difficult time in her life that she truly discovered art's therapeutic potential. During that challenging period, she developed a unique six-step process combining journaling, aromatherapy, affirmations, meditation, painting, and journaling again. This process became her sanctuary, helping her navigate emotional turmoil and rediscover her strength.
Recognizing that if art could be her lifeline, it could serve the same purpose for others, including veterans struggling with PTSD, Karen launched Painting Your Soul. The beauty of the program lies in its adaptability, making it accessible for everyone, regardless of artistic experience. Its fresh approach, recognized as the Best Emotional Therapy Program of 2024 by Best Holistic Life Magazine, combines expressive arts with mindfulness practices for emotional release and healing, not artistic mastery.
Karen believes, "The answers are not found in the busy mind, but in the silence of the soul." Her state-of-the-art Painting Your Soul expressive arts kits guide people through this mindfulness-based artistic journey, emphasizing process over product. Working from the Costello Center for Counseling in St. Petersburg, Florida, Karen collaborates with healthcare providers nationwide to incorporate these kits into their practices, with some providers calling it "the missing piece" in holistic medicine. Her goal is to introduce the kits in hospitals and rehab centers to aid patient recovery.
Karen's motivation for Painting Your Soul is deeply personal. It's not just a business; it's a tangible expression of her belief in the transformative power of art.
Find Karen at PaintingYourSoul.com