Mountain Creative Arts Counseling

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United States
Hendersonville, NC
Mountain Creative Arts Counseling

I help adults re-connect to their creativity, without letting trauma, stress, and shame get in their way. In network with BCBS, Aetna, & UHC.

Kara Ashley-Gilmore, LCMHC, ATR-BC, SEP, provides Somatic Art Therapy and Counseling to adult survivors of childhood abuse & neglect who want support with the following:

🔹 Trauma & Attachment Resiliency
🔹 Anxiety & Stress-Management
🔹 Post-Partum Support
🔹 Psychedelic Integration
🔹 Art Therapy Supervision

Free 30 minute consultations are available. Ages 18+

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Other Services Include:

🔹 Healing Arts Workshops for Creativity Development

🔹 Individual Support for Integration of Non-Ordinary States of Consciousness: Preparatory and Post-experiece Art Therapy Sessions. (Not covered by insurance)

🔹 Art Therapy Supervision for ATR-P Credential Holders

🔹 Somatic Art Therapy Case Consultations for Professionals

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Contact via email is preferred: kgilmore@mountaincreativearts.com

01/26/2026

Again. Still.

01/22/2026

I am delighted to be a speaker at the Henderson County Behavioral Health Conference this March!

From 10-10:45, I’ll be sharing about the power of mini-zines (hand-folded, pocket-sized booklets made from a single sheet of paper) as a therapeutic tool through the various phases of treatment. Participants will leave with ready-to-use templates, clear instructions, and the expert knowledge to immediately begin using this process with their clients.

Registration for the Conference opens mid-January. Follow the Henderson County Department of Public Health's social media channels for updates.

01/15/2026

Join artist Kara Ashley-Gilmore for a special session of Mindful Mark-Making. We will blend the 7 essential principles of mindfulness with intuitive art practices, using drawing and watercolors as tools for relaxation. You’ll be guided through a series of creative mark-making exercises and grounding techniques, culminating in an extended, meditative painting session.

This month, dive into Neurographic Art—a powerful method rooted in Pavel Piskarev’s Neurographica® model. We will create fluid, organic lines and shapes resembling neural pathways and cells, and add mark-making elements along the way.

What’s Included in Your Session:
🧘‍♀️🌳 Opening Guided Meditation & Focused Grounding Exercises.
📘✨ The "Principles of Mindfulness for Art-Making" Takeaway Guide.
✍️〰️ Hands-on instruction for Neurographic line work and meditative mark-making.
🎨💖 An extended period of self-directed, meditative painting and creation.
🤝🗣️ A closing sharing circle for connection and reflection.

Absolutely no art experience is required! All supplies—including rich watercolor paints, drawing pens, and acrylic markers—are provided for your use. Just bring your willingness to play, and your desire to connect and share!

Details:
📍 The Art Place Studios: 2015 Asheville Hwy, Hendersonville
📆 Sunday, February 1, 2026, from 11am to 12:30pm
🎨 Art League Members: $30 | Non-Members: $35

🔗 Register Here:
https://member.artleaguehvl.org/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode=ALHC&evid=60119635

01/08/2026

My wish for the new year is that everyone treats their creative practices with the same level of importance that they treat their physical health, nutritional health, and other self-care practices. Creative health is essential for well-being--as individuals and as a society

Often, we relegate art to the 'luxury' category, something to be enjoyed only when the work is done. But the truth is, the act of making is a biological necessity for a regulated nervous system. When we engage in mindful mark-making or tactile play, we aren't just 'crafting'; we are processing emotions, building cognitive flexibility, and lowering cortisol.

I challenge you to stop viewing your creativity as a hobby to be squeezed into the margins and start seeing it as a vital spark that keeps your internal light from dimming. Whether it’s five minutes of sketching, arranging a container garden, trying a new recipe, or joining us at The Creatives Book Club, let’s let’s commit to showing up for our creative selves with the same consistency and respect we show to every other pillar of our health. 🎨🖌

01/07/2026

I'm helping to spread the word about this really important show happening at Mars Hill University's Weizenblatt Gallery next month: "Domestic Violence: Resilience through Art". This show has been three years in the making, and they are now accepting entries!

For artists:
Entries are due on 1/31/26. Provide your name, email, up to 3 entries, jpg images of each (1500 pixels on longest side), with titles, mediums, and price (or NFS). No entry fees and any sales are directly between you and the buyer since we do not handle transactions. Please email your entries to Skip Rohde, Williamskip_rohde@mhu.edu

01/05/2026

Do you have a beautiful stack of art project books that are fantastic for inspiration but rarely make it off the shelf? You’re not alone! We love flipping through the hundreds of projects in every medium imaginable, but carving out the focused time to actually sit down and complete them often feels impossible.

Welcome to The Creatives Book Club! This won't be a traditional book club. Instead of simply reading a book about art and creativity, we'll meet once a month to actually do a project from the chosen book. It’s the perfect way to explore new mediums, hold yourself accountable to your creative practice, and finally make those beautiful pages come to life!

🎉 We meet on the last Monday of the month, from 4-6pm (4:30-6:30 in January)

Join us for an evening of collective art-making, mingling, and shared discovery as we dive into a project from an inspiring book!

🗓️ Our Creative Schedule (4:30 PM – 6:00 PM)
4:30 - 4:50: Set up your Materials & Settle In
4:50 - 6:00: Art-Making (project of choice from this month’s book)
6:00 - 6:10: Clean Up
6:10 - 6:30: Share & Mingle

Ready to trade reading for making? Register to save your seat.

🔗 https://member.artleaguehvl.org/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode=ALHC&evid=60114747

01/02/2026

January's Collage: "A ship in a harbour is safe, but that's not what ships are built for." -John A. Shedd

12/29/2025

Ready to dive back into the studio? I can't wait to create with you again next year! 🎉

Registration for these workshops (plus so many more inspiring classes!) is officially live on the Art League website. Your spot awaits! Come join the fun and let's make some amazing art together in the new year. 🎨🖌

https://member.artleaguehvl.org/members/evr/regmenu2.php?orgcode=ALHC&eci=710883

12/25/2025

May you find a moment to simply breathe, soak up the light, and feel the gentle warmth that comes from connecting with the people and things that matter most. Sending peace and joy from our creative corner to yours! 💜✨

12/22/2025

What's your favorite cozy art time activity? 🎨🖌

12/15/2025

Our new online Art Therapy Supervision Group begins January 14th! I love supporting new art therapists in their growth as clinicians. This supervision group is available for new professionals working towards their art therapy credentials.

This is run as a closed group of up to 6 members. We will meet over Zoom twice a month: Every-Other Wednesday, from 9:00-10:30am EST, for a total of 10 sessions:

January 2026: 1/14 & 1/28
February 2026: 2/11 & 2/25
March 2026: 3/11 & 3/25
April 2026: 4/8 & 4/22
May 2026: 5/6 & 5/20

Fee: $50 per group session

Interested? Sign up via QR Code or link below:
https://tinyurl.com/MCAC-ATSGroup

Address

307 N Main Street, STE 9-10
Hendersonville, NC
28792

Telephone

+18287854789

Website

http://www.mountaincreativearts.com/

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Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Hendersonville?

Kara Ashley-Gilmore, LCMHC, ATR

Located on the second floor of a historic building in the heart of downtown Hendersonville, Mountain Creative Arts Counseling, offers Trauma-Informed Individual Counseling, Anxiety Skill-building Groups, Art Therapy, and Somatic Experiencing® to support you through your wellness journey. Schedule your free consultation today to find the service that's right for you: 828-785-4789 or kgilmore@mountaincreativearts.com