About Me

Owner & Art Therapist

I am a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) and a Registered Art Therapist (ATR). I specialize in supporting individuals through art therapy as they navigate grief, loss, life transitions, anxiety, and depression. My approach is compassionate and tailored to each person’s unique journey, using creative expression as a powerful tool for healing and self-discovery.

I am trained in EMDR, an evidence-based therapy approach that helps clients process difficult experiences and reduce the emotional distress connected to them. EMDR can be a powerful tool for healing from trauma, anxiety, grief, and experiences that may feel difficult to move past.

As a queer therapist and part of the LGBTQ+ community, I approach therapy with empathy and cultural humility, particularly around issues of identity and belonging.

As a mom of two young children, I bring patience, empathy, and presence into my work. Parenthood has given me a deeper understanding of life’s transitions — and of grief itself. Experiencing motherhood without my own mom has shaped how I hold space for loss, love, and healing in my practice.

Lauren Raney, LCPC, ATR

My Specializations:

  • Grief & Bereavement

  • Life Transitions

  • Anticipatory Grief

  • Non-Death Losses

  • Anxiety

  • Trauma

  • Depression

  • Coping Skills

  • Mindfulness

  • Children ages 3 - 17

  • Adults 18+

Therapeutic Approaches:

  • Art Therapy

  • Talk Therapy

  • EMDR

  • Person-Centered

  • Adlerian

  • Attachment-Based

  • Family Systems

  • Trauma Informed

  • LGBTQ+ Safe Space

Work Experience: 

  • Program Director at Willow House - Grief Center

  • Bereavement Counselor and Children's Grief Coordinator at JourneyCare Hospice

  • Art Therapist at AMITA Health Behavioral Medicine Institute Children's Center Chicago

More About Me

School: 

  • Adler University - Masters of Art in Counseling and Art Therapy 

  • Illinois State University - Bachelors of Science in Studio Arts: Painting

Credentials:

  • Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois

  • Registered Art Therapist in Illinois

  • Featured on Psychology Today

  • Member of National Alliance for Children’s Grief

Interests:

  • Mama of two littles

  • Nature / Flowers / Cool breezes

  • Art! (Is this one obvious?)

  • Dancing & Yoga

  • Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

  • Zodiac Sign: Cancer

I promise to honor your grief in any way that feels comfortable to you. To honor my grief, Hope Forest is named in memory of my mom who died in 2013. She planted the love of art and compassion for helping others into my soul.

honoring grief with art therapy