Meet Authentic Hope

Hillary studied at Michigan State University and Western Theological Seminary. She has been working with children, adults and adolescents with complex trauma, anxiety, grief and depression since 2003. 

 

Using a myriad of therapy tools, she will set goals with each client and provide client-centered strategies to provide healing and develop communication and coping skills. Hillary is experienced with clients who need assistance with self-harm, eating disorders, LGBTQ issues, PTSD, and is supportive of interfaith practices. She treats clients from a holistic prospective addressing biological, psychological, social and spiritual concerns.

 

She is an approved Clinical Supervisor since 2008. As an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church USA, she also works to promote mental health access and peace building skills. 

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I provide support for individuals struggling with anxiety, social anxiety, depression, panic, trauma, issues around gender and/or sexuality, grief/life transitions, school and relationship issues. My main focus is ages 6-25-ish. Accepting and affirming of LGBTQ2IA+ individuals, as well as those in non-traditional relationships and family structures.

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The toolbox I draw from includes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), play therapy, sand tray, Polyvagal Theory, mindfulness and self-compassion practices. I value play, trauma-informed care, anti-oppression, cultural humility and a healthy dose of humor.

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My therapeutic style is warm, collaborative, and strengths-based. Together, we can identify your goals, whether they be to overcome certain fears, navigate stressors, learn to handle big emotions, or simply to just feel better. We will create a roadmap for meeting these goals, and along the way, I offer myself as a kind and compassionate collaborator.

Feel like no one understands you? Do you even understand yourself? Have you experienced trauma and don’t know how to keep moving forward? I work with women, teens, and children navigating the aftermath of trauma. This can come in the form of depression, anxiety, relationship issues, intimacy issues, and other concerns.

 

Working together we will use a combination of evidenced based approaches like CBT, SFT, and Play Therapy. Together we will create a plan to take back control and develop skills that let you live life after trauma. 

 

Parents: I work with children, ages 7-17 years old, struggling with trauma and anxiety. I utilize age appropriate treatments to help children and teens overcome their struggles. I enjoy working with children as they continue to show me how resilient and capable they are.

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In addition to my Master’s in Social Work I completed an intensive fellowship that focused on treatment and understanding of trauma (Trauma-Based Behavioral Health Fellowship, through Southern Illinois University - School of Medicine).

If you would like someone else to understand what it's like to be you, my counseling approach focuses on personal growth, relationship work, mental illness and trauma-informed care.

 

I employ evidence-based approaches and techniques to collaborate with you on reaching your optimum state of being and to support you in identifying changes that you seek to make in order to experience the life that you want to live.

 

I use an integration of person-centered, mindfulness-based, and cognitive behavioral therapies and strive to balance mindful awareness, a genuine and empathic relationship, and a collaborative effort with you to reach a state of wellbeing.

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