Creative Therapy for Children and Families
Hunter Therapy Family Counseling offers a calm, relationship-centered practice where children and families can process stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, and life changes through art therapy, expressive techniques, movement, and nature-based support.
In addition, our work integrates somatic therapy to gently support the release of trauma stored in the body. This approach helps children and families reconnect with a sense of safety, regulation, and inner balance.
Art therapy, sand tray, and expressive modalities
Outdoor therapeutic space in Santa Monica
Support for children, parents, and family systems
A Safe Place to Process and Grow
Our goal at Hunter Therapy Family Counseling is to create a safe and playful environment where your child can discuss and process stressful situations. We offer a wide range of activities, including art therapy, painting, sand trays, sports psychology, jewelry, and gardening. Each session is designed to meet your child's needs and build a strong emotional foundation.
Looking for a creative and fun way for your child to talk about their thoughts, behaviors, and feelings? We use different expressive techniques to help your child learn healthy ways of coping with stress.
Our Services & Modalities
Every child is unique, and so is our approach. We offer a variety of modalities to best support your family's journey.
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Painting & Art Therapy
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Sand Tray Therapy
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Sports Psychology & Movement
SomaticTherapy
Attachment Theory
Nature & Garden
Reunification Therapy
Creative Expression
Open Art Studio
Parent & Family Support
Mother's Support
Home Visits
Sports Activities
What is Art Therapy?
Sometimes we don't have the words to express how we feel.
Unlock your potential and tap into your creativity with our Art Therapy services. Our sessions cater to all ages and use a variety of supplies to let you fully express yourself. We know that creativity can be therapeutic and produce a calming effect on the body, reducing stress and anxiety.
Art therapy can use a variety of supplies such as clay, markers, oil pastels, pencils, slime, painting, crafts, collage puppets, sand-tray, or photography.
Art Therapy will help improve your child's self-esteem, social skills, anger management, conflict resolution, and acts of kindness.
Art Therapy vs Talk Therapy
At Hunter Therapy Family Counseling, we believe that healing can happen in many ways. While traditional talk therapy focuses on words and conversation, art therapy provides children and families with a creative way to process thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.
For kids who may struggle to find the right words, especially those with learning disabilities, ADHD, or the stress of grief, loss, or change, art can open new doors to self-expression and growth.
Areas We Support
Building tools that create more balance and resilience in daily life.
Anxiety and Depression
Grief and Loss
ADHD & Learning Disabilities
High Functioning Spectrum
Social Skills
Parenting Tips
Divorce
Trauma
Special Needs
Separation Anxiety
Adoption & Attachment
Palisades Fires Families
We help children navigate their feelings, thoughts, and behaviors by teaching coping skills for home and school. By identifying positive friendships and managing social stress, we build confidence and self-esteem.
We specialize in creative interventions for learning differences like Dyslexia and ADHD, making therapy engaging and accessible. We also walk alongside families impacted by local events like the Palisades fires, offering space to process grief and change.
Through art therapy, play, and supportive counseling, your child will experience the benefits of improved self-expression and stronger social connections.
Therapy in Nature
Experience the difference of therapy outside in nature. The garden is a great space for children to move around and pick the same or different activities each week. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, depression, family issues, or stress, we have a range of creative ways to help build trust and create a safe place to talk about feelings. Let us help achieve a happier, healthier, and brighter future.
Lauryn Hunter, LMFT, ATR-BC
Marriage and Family Therapist and Board Certified Art Therapist
Lauryn Hunter LMFT, ATR-BC is an award-winning art therapist and international speaker. She has received an Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism for many years of service helping children. She actively volunteers in her community, maintains a private practice, and works at Cedars-Sinai Medical Hospital. As a mental health supervisor with the Share and Care program, she facilitates art therapy groups for student's grades K-12 in Los Angeles schools. These groups often address emotionally stressful situations such as trauma, grief, divorce, addiction, immigration, adoption/foster care, and severe mental illness. In addition to working with children, Lauryn has been instrumental in creating curriculums for parent workshops and teacher trainings addressing a variety of topics such as self-esteem, social skills, anger management as well as school-wide programs on bullying, leadership, and acts of kindness.
Lauryn Hunter has been a member of GSFE: Global Society of Female Entrepreneurs, and the director for young lady's youth network. The goal for this youth leadership program is to help middle and high school girls become active members in their community, become college bound and learn key life's skills to be successful adults. The GSFE youth network promotes leadership, community service and teaching a business mindset. Inspiring young women to be educated, teaches That Wisdom is Power and how can our next generation of women be our world leaders.
As founding director of Hunter Therapy Family Counseling, Lauryn uses a variety of creative therapeutic approaches with private clients such as art therapy, sand tray, mindful parenting, and gardening. As a collaborative therapist, her goal with clients is to integrate art therapy with conversations to offer powerful ways to provide personal insight and emotional well-being. In addition to her clinical and volunteer work Lauryn Hunter has been an adjunct faculty member at Alliant International University, Antioch University and Philips Graduate Institute teaching core curriculum courses for their Marriage & Family Therapy (MFT) graduate/doctoral programs.
Cedars-Sinai Share & Care Program — 2011–Present
Lauryn Hunter, LMFT, ATR-BC
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist #91647
Mental Health Specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Presidential Volunteer Service Award, 2019
Board Certified Art Therapist ATR #10-178
20 years supporting children in schools
Presidential Volunteer Service Award, 2019
Honorary Doctorate in Humanitarianism, 2022
Patient Excellence Award, Cedars-Sinai, 2024
Rawley Silver Award for Excellence, 2008
A Brief Bio
Lauryn Hunter, LMFT, ATR-BC is an award-winning art therapist and international speaker who has spent many years helping children, families, and school communities navigate stress, trauma, grief, and major life transitions.
She maintains a private practice in Santa Monica, works with Cedars-Sinai's Share & Care Program, and has developed parent workshops and teacher trainings focused on self-esteem, social skills, anger management, bullying prevention, leadership, and emotional wellness.
As the founding director of Hunter Therapy Family Counseling, Lauryn integrates art therapy, sand tray, mindful parenting, gardening, and collaborative conversation to support insight, resilience, and meaningful emotional growth.
Art Studio, Unleash Your Creativity
Upon request the open art studio allows a person to work on any creative project they want to. Most supplies are available.
If you feel a need for creativity in your life or finish a project you have been working on, come to the garden and draw, paint, collage, write, or build a sand tray.
Through somatic-based practices, we support awareness of how emotions live in the body, using movement, breath, and creativity to gently process and release held stress.
Mother's Support
Over the last 20 years of working with children, I have found the ones that need the most support are mothers. We need a place to talk about the daily struggles of parenting, taking care of the home, working, raising emotionally balanced children, while maintaining our own serenity.
We meet once a week and focus on a new topic each week, such as tips on improving communication, managing behaviors, anxiety, social skills, and building self-esteem. Group members will learn creative coping skills, process feelings, and experience fun therapeutic art directives.
Cost of Services & Policies
Transparent pricing for our therapeutic services
Services
Child/Adolescent
50-min
$250
Family Conjoint / Reunification
90-min
$450
Home Visits
2 hours
$650
Family Assessments Treatment Summary
$2500 -
$10,000
Policies
Cancellation
All cancellations require 24 hours notice before appointment time. The fee for missed or late cancellations without 24 hours notice is the full amount.
Payment Accepted
Cash, Check, Visa/MasterCard, Venmo
Insurance
Insurance is not accepted. However, upon request, a Superbill can be provided each month to be submitted to your insurance company for reimbursement.
Get in Touch
Location
Hunter Therapy Family Counseling
903 4th Street Unit C
Santa Monica, CA 90403
