Studio Spectral PLLC
-Queer Counseling, Integrative Art Therapy, EMDR, KAP-
Evan Honerkamp, MA, LPC, ATR
(He/Him/His)
Licensed Professional Counselor, Registered Art Therapist, EMDR-Certified Therapist, KAP-Trained Therapist
"I wish I could show you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being."
- Hafez Shirazi
Hello and welcome to my site!
Perhaps you are here because there has been a recent event in your life that has left you feeling uprooted and overwhelmed. Or you wish to find a fresh take on an issue. Perhaps you want to practice new skills with an ongoing struggle, or a way to resolve the burden of past traumatic experiences. Any of these paths can lead us to take the courageous action of seeking therapy.
I'm glad you've stopped by.
My hope is for this site to reflect to you my dedication to your seeking a new direction toward change, growth or healing in your life. I'm grateful you have found me as a potential therapist along the way.
Feel free to explore this site to learn a bit about myself, who I see as clients, and what is available in our work together.
About Myself
Becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Art Therapist reflect two deep passions of mine: creative expression and supporting others. Way before gaining the alphabet soup behind my name, I intuitively understood my life purpose was to understand how and why us humans are the ways we are. And more recently, with my certification in EMDR and training in KAP, this exploration of humanness has solidified within me the deep conviction that personal and collective transformation is possible. So far, many of my days leading up to today have been sprinkled with intensity, heart-break, sobriety, awe, wonder, and life-affirmation. Some of the biggest peaks and valleys as part of my journey have been the touch of significant loss, illness, death and grief; taking the spiritual & eternal Bodhisattva path as part of Mahayana Buddhism; and thriving through Queer-lived hardships and traumas. The gifts of perspective, abundance, stillness, dynamism, fortitude, and passion over my 30-some-odd years alive are just as worthy of being offered to the therapeutic relationship as are the clinical knowledge, advanced trainings, and professional development that is ongoing for me. There is zero doubt in me that I am moved to be a conduit of reverence, respect, non-judgmental presence, and advocacy for the unique needs and strengths of all those walking through my office doors.
Graduating from Naropa University's Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Art Therapy graduate program, I engaged in rigorous and fascinating field work informed by cognitive-behavioral, multicultural/feminist, mindfulness-based, transpersonal, developmental, and art-based therapeutic systems. I’ve had the pleasure of working in dynamic settings -including elementary schools, a bereavement center, art studios, a horse ranch- and with dynamic people -including grieving widows, single-parent kiddos, wide-eyed teens, new parents, adults of childhood trauma, and queer BIPOC youth. From graduate school, into my community mental health agency work with families affected by intellectual disabilities, and into my eight years of private practice work, my clients and I have relied upon on the wisdom of Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR), Transpersonal Art Therapy, Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), Compassion-based Therapy, and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) to form an integrative approach to our work. My identity as an Integrative Therapist means I am continuously exploring and joining a variety of clinical and intuitive skills from various frameworks to enhance my clients' desired outcomes.
As a social justice-oriented therapist, I stand firmly against hate and discrimination of any kind. The foundations of our current mass society in the United States is built upon capitalistic gain, power and privilege differentials, and white supremacy values. These foundations are damaging, limiting, and unhealthy for all, especially for those with limited or minimal social privileges. Many are consistently fighting and struggling for validation of their experiences, a sense of wellness or wholeness, access to resources, and equitable policy, and it is crucial to consider and process these ongoing society-based traumas within our therapy relationship. Due to the colonial origins of psychotherapy itself and due to the harms this field has caused to many, currently and historically, I am dedicated to ongoing decolonization practices, including exploring, speaking, and addressing colonial attitudes and assumptions that effect clients, myself, and therapy relationship. As a White, academically-educated, English-speaking, able-bodied, cis-gender male, I use my privileges to provide relevant referrals, non-judgmental space, and active support to process all triggers and traumas my clients face, from the past and in the present, including traumas based on gender, race, ethnicity, age, sexuality, ability, national origin, religion, and socioeconomic statuses.
The person you can expect in the room with you is a counselor who is present for your multi-dimensional self. I commit to drawing from many perspectives of psychology, philosophy, social activism, neuroscience, and spirituality to see the fullest spectrum possible of who you are. And in a quite pragmatic sense, our therapy together is about best serving you and your life, today, in a process of mutual collaboration and commitment. There is no question that wisdom and power is innately within you, even when or if it feels lost, stolen or dormant. To that end, our mission will be to uncover the vitality of your life and being and to discover satisfaction in your life. Again, therapy is a collaborative process, and it will be yours and my work together to meet goals unique, healing, and important to you and your world.
About Queer Counseling
The Burden of Another's Tomorrow. Ink and watercolor on paper. 2016.
Our lives as queer people -those of us who live as part of the LGBTQIA+ spectrum- are rarely straight-forward, readily definable, simplistic, nor without unique challenges. Although we may hold some commonalities with aspects of heteronormative society, or with the straight people we personally know, we experience differences in our external and internal lives that make queer-competent and queer-affirming care essential. There has been much advancement in the last 20, 10, and even 5 years in the advocacy and advancement of rights for many queer people; however, there is much more left to do nationally, state-wide and community-wise in regards to just, equitable policy, protections, and inclusion for all within the queer spectrum. Additionally, it comes to no one's surprise that each queer individual has had their life colored by hurts in the form of discrimination, prejudice, (not-so-micro)-aggressions, abuses, shame and more, with many of these coming in the form of erasure inherent in heteronormative society, from our own communities, peers, and family of origin, and across troubling news headlines and political mouthpieces acting as morality police.
We each have our own stories, attitudes, and meanings about living queer, so in the context of your therapy, we will explore your unique queerness without a one-size-fits-all approach to your therapy nor pre-defined goals towards wellness. Are you feeling isolated from family, peers, coworkers or other social supports? Would you like to work through your experiences with polyamory, dating/hook-up life, intimacy struggles, kinks, or sexual behaviors? Are you desiring more Self-led language around the full spectrum of your gender or sexuality? Do you need to find more stigma-free, shame-free, and queer-focused resources in the local community? Are you exploring authentic living and engaging in the life-long journey that is known as "coming out"? Are you on a gender-congruency journey? Are you reconciling or learning to incorporate spirituality into your life that will also affirm your queerness? Do you feel your multifaceted identity is aggressed toward, discriminated against, or largely invisible? Want to be witnessed in regards to anything and everything related to being queer? Need some space to vent difficult thoughts and feelings about living within heteronormative society? These questions and their answers are so welcome in our space together and by no means is this an exhaustive list by which to inquire the complex query that is our queer lives!
There are many powerful moments (both satisfying and painful) that can highlight the journey of being queer, and I am here with you for it! I work to uphold a shame-free, stigma-free, and sex-positive attitude about sexuality and identity; I bolster this by always networking and consulting with other queer helpers, keeping abreast of related media, literature and research, and doing the (ongoing) work of addressing the internalized homophobic programming from my own story. We each deserve to find and uphold the worthiness, beauty, and bad-assery of our queer story, and I am honored to be a supporting role in yours.
About Art Therapy
Kuan Yin, The One Who Hears The Cries of the World. Acrylic on canvas. 2021.
The American Art Therapy Association (AATA) defines art therapy as "an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship." The AATA also recognizes that art therapy is used throughout a variety of environments and with a variety of people in order to "improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change."
At times, the process of making art is the most healing or satisfying act in and of itself due to the sensory experience (the smells, textures, colors, and even our hand and body movements as we work with the materials). At other times, the healing occurs when we reflect upon the visual, spiritual, and symbolic language of the final artwork created, which often says much about our self-image, fears, desires, hopes, sorrows, and strengths. Art-making can soothe, support, surprise, challenge, and validate us and our experiences, so how we connect to our art creations is another way to therapeutically engage with art and art-making. Yet another way to think about the use of art in therapy, is the fact that sometimes words and talking alone fails us. It can be easier or make more sense to show who we are and what we are going through than it is to talk directly about complex things. Different from traditional talk therapies, art therapy is often action-oriented; we get to try out possibilities, solutions, and responses by being "hands on" and "working" the art. Art serves to externalize our inner experience -we literally 'get it out of us and into the world'. This working may lead to feeling more empowered, in control, self-directed, engaged, and more supported and guided in our specific journey or circumstance.
As a Registered Art Therapist, I keep myself abreast of best art-based practices, uphold ethical standards, and use ongoing judgment and consultation when providing art-based methods and interventions. I also have served as the Government Affairs Chairperson with the Colorado Board of the AATA, committing to advancing the education, legislation and advocacy on this vital art therapy profession. Art therapy can be a valuable service for anyone, whether you consider yourself a seasoned artist or you have never picked up a paint brush or touched a block of clay before. It is valuable to children, teens, adults, and elders. Absolutely no 'talent' in art making is required to find benefits! I will continuously make art materials and the art process available to you in your therapy. Although engagement with art materials in session is never required of you, I will encourage you to experiment with various means of expression, beyond verbal, as it typically enhances therapeutic growth. It is very likely you will feel more connected to your inner resources and strengths as a result.
For additional trusted art therapy information, visit ArtTherapy.org or ArtTherapyColorado.org.
About EMDR
(Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing)
No Better Angels. Alcohol ink on paper. 2021.
The EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) defines Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy as "an extensively researched, effective psychotherapy method proven to help people recover from trauma and other distressing life experiences, including PTSD from abuse/violence, anxiety, grief/loss, chronic pain, depression, and panic disorders". EMDR is a powerfully integrative form of trauma-healing therapy that relies on what the brain does best: processing of events and experiences in ways that help us to naturally adapt, learn, and engage with ourselves and in the world.
The various regions of the brain are typically in-sync: they work together to manage stress, learn/analyze helpful information, and control our emotions and behaviors. Our brain is a truly incredible information processing system. However, even this amazing system can get "tripped" at times, when an event or experience is "too much or too fast" to handle (i.e. naturally processed by the various aspects of the brain) in the moment. This unfortunately makes for certain distressing memories (and all of the related emotions, images, thoughts, and body sensations) to remain "frozen in time", quite literally stuck in an isolated areas of the brain's neural network. As such, we often experience an unprocessed (traumatic) memory when we are being "triggered" by something in our present day, feeling "trapped" by traumas of our past, or being "frozen" with fear or "attacked" by panic about our future. EMDR is not a "magic pill" and it is not about desensitization to the pain of our memory in and of itself, but rather addressing (processing) all of distressing, unhelpful material into an adaptive, informative, and helpful resolution. It is not about forgetting or disowning aspects of our memories, our brain, or parts of ourselves, but allowing the natural healing and adaptive information processing system of the brain and nervous system to resume its beautiful work.
Using bilateral dual attention stimulation (BLS), (which can be eye movements, body tapping, or audio cues), the procedure of EMDR therapy looks like a brain-body free association; this is how we activate the brain's neural network and specific memories to be processed. Once activated, the brain already knows what to do; so we, like passengers on a train, will be noticing the scenery that comes up, making necessary stops to rest, and continuing along the ride as our brain does the work to connect us to more desirable destinations. We will find out together how your individual system responds -without forcing, judging, or censoring any specific result. As an EMDR-certified therapist, I provide this trauma-informed therapy, which includes resourcing our bodies with meditative and empowering activities; giving supported attention to distressing imagery, sensations, self-beliefs, and emotions; illuminating the adaptive self-beliefs that were otherwise hidden or lost; and ultimately embodying hope, resolve, and action in our present and future.
For additional trusted EMDR therapy information, visit EMDRIA.org.
Therapy with Adults
Person, Place, Time. Ink on paper. 2017.
Simply making it to adulthood is a testament to your commitment to life's gauntlets and bounties. By this fact alone, I feel every person deserves to find many moments of contentment, peace and satisfaction during her, their, and his adult life. You deserve to rejoice! However, it can very well be that your social, physical, spiritual, or psychological limits are being tested, making the support of therapy at times all the more important. My sole purpose as your therapist is to craft with you a personal framework for health and well-being to help you feel more resilient and empowered in your daily life. Whether your therapy with me looks like art-making, talk therapy, mindfulness meditations, trauma processing, psychedelic journeying, or any combination of these, you and I will collaborate upon a therapeutic experience that honors your unique personality, history, and specific needs of today. My adult clients are rockstars: ready to engage, curious to try a new approach, open to "owning their shit" (i.e. responsibilities and choices), follow through with occasional "homework" or continued reflection, and are honest about releasing what might no longer support their well-being today. The presentations my adult clients and I work with in therapy include:
-
LGBTQAI-related needs, including sex-positivity, internalized (insert here)-phobia, gender congruency, access to care, authentic living/coming out, and HIV+ support
-
Grief / loss & major life transitions
-
Privilege & Intersectionality (race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, national origin, SES, ability, etc.)
-
Depression / Hopelessness
-
Anxiety / Panic
-
ADHD / Neurodivergence
-
Autism Spectrum Disorder / Learning disabilities
-
Anger management
-
College / Career stress
-
Chronic illness / Somatic pain
-
Religious, sexual, medical, racial, and intergenerational traumas from childhood
-
Religious, sexual, medical, racial, and intergenerational traumas from adulthood
-
Psychospiritual exploration / Existential crises
-
Substance use / Addictive behaviors
-
Shame spiraling / Lack of self-compassion
-
Communication, attachment, and boundary issues within significant relationships
-
Family of origin conflict / Estrangement
Resources
Literature is a dynamic resource, one that is filled with countless voices which bring us hope, inspiration, and clarity into our own experiences and challenges. Although reading on therapeutic themes (called bibliotherapy) cannot replace a therapeutic relationship, literature is an excellent supplement to any well-engaged therapy work. Here is a handful of resources my clients and myself have found helpful to assist in articulating one's concerns, supporting personal growth, and giving evidence to not being alone in human hardship. While no one book can represent a catch-all for any single topic, these moving reads offer companionship with the realities of gender, race, sex, love, death, art, acceptance, trauma, life purpose, grief, faith, and more:
-
Managing Traumatic Stress Through Art: Drawing from the Center
-
The Body Keeps The Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
-
What Happened To You? Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing
-
The Wild Edge of Sorrow: Rituals of Renewal and the Sacred Work of Grief
-
Our Polyvagal World: How Safety and Trauma Change Us
-
Self-Therapy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Inner Wholeness Using IFS
-
Waking The Tiger: Healing Trauma
-
Man's Search For Meaning
-
When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times
-
Radical Dharma: Talking Race, Love and Liberation
-
Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
-
The Art of Loving: An Inquiry Into the Nature of Love
- Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma, and Consensual Nonmonogamy
-
You and Your Gender Identity: A Guide to Discovery
-
Being With Dying: Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death
-
All About Love: New Visions
-
Standing At The Edge: Finding Freedom Where Fear and Courage Meet
-
Siddhartha
-
The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man's World
-
Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha
-
The Prophet
-
Trauma & Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence
-
The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control & Becoming Whole
-
The Sacred Cauldron: Psychotherapy as a Spiritual Practice
-
The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists & Their Patients
-
The Ethical Slut: A Practical Guide to Polyamory, Open Relationships & Other Adventures
-
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment
-
In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction
-
The Language of Emotions: What Your Feelings Are Trying To Tell You
-
Rest Is Resistance: A Manifesto
-
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good
- My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies
-
The Book of Symbols, from the Archive for Research in Archetypal Symbolism
-
Religions, Values, and Peak Experiences
-
How I Stayed Alive When My Brain Was Trying To Kill Me: One Person's Guide to Suicide Prevention
-
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents: How to Heal from Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents
-
The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living
-
Sacred Medicine: Exploring the Psychedelic Hero's Journey
-
The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When The World Overwhelms You
-
Darkness Before Dawn: Redefining the Journey Through Depression
-
The Body Is Not An Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love
-
EMDR Essentials: A Guide for Clients and Therapists
-
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
-
Queering Psychedelics: From Oppression to Liberation in Psychedelic Medicine
-
The Ketamine Papers: Science, Therapy, and Transformation
Contact Me
My office is located in the Santa Fe Art District of Denver, Colorado, and I serve people throughout Colorado.
The private pay rate for a 50-minute therapy session is $130.
Use the contact form below to reach me if seeking potential therapy. I offer a free 20-minute phone consultation to share preliminary info and to get an idea for if we will be "the right fit" for therapy together. If we are, we will then schedule our first appointment to start working together. And if we are not, I can provide you with personally-trusted referrals.
I look forward to hearing from you!
*Please note that email, telephone, and this contact form are for initiating contact and for scheduling purposes only. As most virtual communication is generally not HIPAA compliant (meaning - it is not confidential), I will only provide therapy services in person or via a HIPAA compliant tele-video format. Sending a message through the contact form above DOES NOT constitute that we are in, or guarantee that in the future we will be in, a client-therapist relationship.*
**For all life-threatening emergencies, please call, 988, 911 or Colorado Crisis Services' 24/7 crisis number at 1-844-493-8255(TALK) or text "TALK" to 38255 for immediate assistance.**