Karen Hoistad is a body-centered psychotherapist and expressive arts therapist with Natalis Counseling and Psychology Solutions. Her areas of specialty include: expressive arts therapy for children, teens, and adults; individual psychotherapy, specializing in anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and life transition issues; play therapy, relaxation therapies, including Svaroopa-style yoga, mindfulness, stress-reduction meditation, and Pranic breathwork. Throughout Karen's 26-year career, she has been especially interested in holistic health therapies, which integrate mind/body/spirit. Yoga, meditation, creative visualization, hypnotherapy, and the expressive arts, all help persons to decompress, calm anxiety, develop emotional resilience, and maximize their energy in a challenging, stressful world. Karen's diverse background includes working as an art therapist at the Kelly Institute, and at Title One Homeless Program's Safe Zone; a caseworker at a Rule 29 group home, a clinical specialist at a crisis residence, an educator for 12 years with the Seed Program (St. Paul Public School Community Ed.), where she worked as an art therapist and taught creative arts, yoga, relaxation techniques, creative writing, music/singing classes; a teacher at Century Community College where she taught Art Therapy Overview for two semesters. Since 2002, Karen has expanded her practice and works with non-English speaking Hmong from Thailand, and Karen and Bhutanese immigrants. After studying English and Humanities at the University of Minnesota, Karen shifted direction and earned a M.A. in Human Development from St. Mary's University. While studying at St. Mary's, Karen attended the Thomas Merton Institute, where she earned her art therapy certificate. She is currently working toward her LPCC licensure and is studying Pranic Psychotherapy and Advanced Pranic Healing, while completing training with the Hakomi Institute. Karen will be offering Hakomi Therapy to individuals interested in body-centered psychotherapy in October 2010. At this time, Karen's personal Svaroopa yoga practice, knowledge and integration of Eastern and Western psychotherapies, and personal expressive arts experiences, offer wise, practical, potentially transformational opportunities to persons struggling with pain, trauma, anxiety, depression, grief and loss.