Healing through
the art of growing
Growth doesn't always happen in a straight line, and healing doesn't always begin with words.
At The Art of Growing, I offer compassionate, creative counseling for children, teens, and adults. Together, we'll make space to explore, express, and grow—at your own pace, in your own way.
Meet Ryann
Ryann Koval, LCMHCA, ATR-P
Welcome—I’m Ryann Koval, LCMHCA, ATR-P, and the counselor behind The Art of Growing.
I believe we all have the capacity for growth, even when life feels messy, overwhelming, or uncertain. My approach is person-centered, which means I see you as the expert on your own experiences. I’m here to listen, offer support, and help you explore what matters most to you.
I work with children, adolescents, and adults, blending traditional counseling with practical skills, mindfulness, and optional art therapy. You do not need artistic experience—or even know exactly where to begin. Together, we can make space for difficult feelings, build new ways of coping, and move toward meaningful change at your own pace.
Counseling at Every Stage of Life
Child Therapy
Children often communicate and make sense of their experiences through play, creativity, and imagination. Counseling may include play-based activities, art therapy, sand tray techniques, and developmentally appropriate DBT-informed skills to help children express feelings, strengthen coping skills, and build emotional awareness. I collaborate with caregivers while preserving a supportive space that belongs to the child.
Adolescent Therapy
Adolescence brings rapid changes in identity, relationships, emotions, and the body. I offer teens a collaborative space to explore who they are without pressure to have everything figured out. Therapy may incorporate conversation, art therapy, storytelling, character-based exploration, mindfulness, and DBT-informed skills to support emotional regulation, self-understanding, and authentic expression.
Adult Counseling
Adults may come to counseling while navigating anxiety, depression, burnout, relationship concerns, identity questions, or major life transitions. Together, we can slow down, explore recurring patterns, and identify what matters most to you. Depending on your preferences, sessions may incorporate conversation, mindfulness, DBT-informed skills, art therapy, or sand tray techniques to support emotional regulation, strengthen coping, and make complex internal experiences easier to understand.
My Approach
I believe meaningful change grows from feeling seen, understood, and supported. My approach brings together a compassionate therapeutic relationship, creative exploration, and practical skills to help you navigate life's challenges in ways that feel meaningful to you.
♡
Person-Centered Care
A collaborative, accepting relationship where your experiences, strengths, and choices guide our work together.
Art Therapy & Creative Expression
Using art and other creative experiences to explore feelings, discover perspectives, and express what words sometimes cannot.
DBT-Informed Skills
Practical tools for understanding emotions, navigating difficult moments, strengthening relationships, and responding with intention.
Mindfulness & Self-Awareness
Learning to notice thoughts, feelings, and body sensations with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment.
What is Art Therapy
“You use a glass mirror to see your face; you use works of art to see your soul.”
— George Bernard Shaw, *Back to Methuselah* (1921)
Sometimes, what we carry inside is difficult to put into words. Art offers another way to begin. Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that brings together creative expression, psychological understanding, and the therapeutic relationship to support emotional healing, self-discovery, and personal growth. At its heart, art therapy recognizes that human experiences are not always stored, understood, or communicated through language alone. Our emotions, memories, relationships, and experiences can also find expression through images, colors, shapes, textures, symbols, and movement. The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) recognizes art therapy as a distinct mental health profession that integrates art-making, psychological theory, and the therapeutic relationship. In art therapy, the creative process becomes another way to explore our inner worlds. Rather than relying entirely on conversation, we can use art to notice feelings, express experiences, discover patterns, and begin making meaning of things that may be difficult to explain. You do not need to be an artist, know how to draw, or have any previous creative experience to benefit from art therapy. The purpose is not to make something beautiful. The purpose is to explore, express, and understand.
Why Art?
When Words Aren't Enough Traditional talk therapy can be incredibly valuable. But sometimes, words are difficult to find. A child might not yet have the language to explain an overwhelming emotion. A teenager may struggle to describe something they barely understand themselves. An adult might intellectually recognize a painful pattern but find that talking about it doesn't fully capture what they're experiencing. Art therapy offers another avenue for expression. Through drawing, painting, collage, clay, or other creative materials, experiences can take shape outside of ourselves. The artwork creates something tangible that we can observe, explore, reflect upon, and sometimes transform.
Art Therapy and Trauma
One of the most meaningful possibilities of art therapy is its ability to offer an indirect, symbolic way of approaching painful or overwhelming experiences. When we experience trauma, our minds and bodies may develop protective responses. Art can offer a different kind of doorway. The artwork can provide a degree of symbolic distance between the person and the experience. Instead of having to say, "This happened to me," someone may be able to begin with, "This is what the feeling looks like." At The Art of Growing, there is room for all of it: the messy, the uncertain, the difficult, the playful, and the beautiful. Because growth, like art, doesn't have to follow a straight line.
Into the Studio
Waiting room
Studio
What happens in a session?
We’ll begin by checking in and deciding together what feels most important that day. You might talk, make art, explore a creative prompt, practice a coping skill—or use a combination of these. I may offer ideas, questions, or materials, but you are always free to choose what feels comfortable. There is no pressure to be artistic or share more than you are ready to share. Sessions move at your pace, with room for curiosity, reflection, and even a little playfulness.
Finding the Office and Parking
Once you turn onto Revolution Mill Drive, park in the lots across the street from the Mill and walk to the entrance marked 1050.
Inside, you'll find my office the first space on the left, once you go all the way down the stairs.
The entrance is located along the hallway beside the restrooms and into our shared waiting area.
Feel free to come in, get comfortable, and make yourself at home!
Fees and Getting Started
At The Art of Growing, I offer individual counseling for children, adolescents, and adults in a supportive, creative environment.
Initial Intake Appointment — $150
60 minutes
Individual Counseling — $125
60 minutes
Ongoing Weekly Counseling — $110 per session
Available for clients who establish an agreed-upon weekly appointment schedule.
The Art of Growing is a private-pay practice and does not currently accept insurance. Superbills are available upon request for clients who wish to explore possible out-of-network reimbursement, although reimbursement is not guaranteed.
Payment is processed securely through SimplePractice. A valid credit or debit card is required on file at least 48 hours before your first appointment. Appointments canceled with less than 48 hours' notice, or missed without notice, are subject to a $75 fee.
If you're interested in beginning counseling or have questions about whether my services may be a good fit, you're welcome to reach out.
Begin Your Journey
Whether you are seeking support for anxiety, depression, or simply looking to explore your creativity, I am here to guide you. Reach out to schedule a consultation and begin your path toward holistic mental wellness.
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