Meet Jennifer L. Hillier, M.A., LPC-S (she/her)

Understanding Who You Became to Survive—and Helping You Reclaim Who You Are

Every Behavior Has a Story

The behaviors did not appear overnight. They were learned. Many of the patterns that bring people to therapy aren't conscious choices. Those patterns shaping your life came from experiences that taught you how to stay safe, connected, or in control. Together, we will understand who you had to become to survive—so you can heal, choose differently, and reconnect with who you truly are.

My Philosophy on Healing

I believe people make sense once we understand the story behind their survival.

Many of the struggles that bring people to therapy are not personality flaws or failures. They are survival patterns—adaptive responses your nervous system learned long ago to help you survive experiences that once felt unsafe, overwhelming, or emotionally painful.

These patterns often continue long after the danger has passed, quietly shaping the way you think, feel, relate to others, and respond to the world. What once helped you survive may now be preventing you from living the life you truly want.

Healing begins when we compassionately recognize these survival patterns—not as character flaws or personal failures, but as evidence of your mind and body's remarkable ability to adapt. As you begin to understand why these patterns developed, you can start to heal the unresolved trauma beneath them, release what no longer serves you, and reconnect with your authentic self.

What I Help Clients Heal

Adults often aren't choosing unhealthy relationship patterns, perfectionism, people-pleasing, emotional avoidance, or self-criticism because they want to. More often, they're repeating what their nervous system learned was necessary to survive. These are not character flaws or signs that you're broken. They are survival adaptations—brilliant strategies your mind and body developed to help you navigate childhood trauma, emotional neglect, or other painful life experiences. The tragedy is that what helped you survive as a child may now be preventing you from thriving as an adult.

Healing begins when we stop asking, "What's wrong with me?" and start asking, "What happened to me, and how did I learn to survive?"

I specialize in helping adults heal from unresolved childhood trauma, complex PTSD, narcissistic abuse, emotional abuse, toxic shame, people-pleasing, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship patterns rooted in survival. My role is to help you understand those survival patterns with compassion rather than judgment, gently heal the unresolved wounds beneath them, and provide you with the guidance and tools to become your own healer. I don't believe my job is to heal you. I believe my job is to help you rediscover the strength, resilience, and wisdom that have been within you all along.

About Me

I'm Jennifer L. Hillier, M.A., LPC-S, a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than a decade of experience working with trauma and complex mental health concerns.

My work is grounded in a simple belief: people make sense once we understand the story behind their survival. I help adults understand how trauma, childhood experiences, relationships, and belief systems may have shaped the way they see themselves, relate to others, and move through the world. I focus on helping clients move beyond survival patterns and develop a stronger, more authentic sense of self. If you’re here, there’s a good chance you’ve been carrying something heavy for a long time.

Many of the people who come to me have spent years trying to understand why they overthink, doubt themselves, struggle to trust, repeat painful relationship patterns, or feel as though they are never quite enough. Therapy gives us a place to become curious about those patterns and discover the story behind your survival adaptations. These struggles often stem from earlier experiences where safety, trust, or identity were disrupted.

My Approach to Therapy

My approach is compassionate, collaborative, trauma-informed, and deeply rooted in the belief that healing happens when people feel safe enough to understand themselves without shame.

I use evidence-based approaches including EMDR, ACT, CBT, DBT, IFS, and trauma-informed therapy to support lasting healing.

We may work on calming your nervous system, processing painful memories, quieting the Inner Critic, building healthier boundaries, reconnecting with your emotions, and developing the tools you need to continue healing beyond therapy.

Why Clients Choose to Work With Me

Clients often tell me they feel understood in ways they have not experienced before.

They appreciate that I do not approach therapy by asking, “What is wrong with you?” Instead, I help them explore, “What happened to you, and how did you learn to survive?”

My goal is to help you connect the dots between your past and present with compassion, clarity, and hope.

Who I Work With

I work with adults who are ready to understand the story behind their survival and begin creating something different.

Many of my clients come to therapy because they're struggling with unresolved childhood trauma, complex PTSD, emotional abuse, narcissistic abuse recovery, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship challenges, perfectionism, people-pleasing, boundaries, or a relentless Inner Critic. Others simply know that something from their past continues to shape the life they're living today.

My practice is intentionally inclusive. I welcome people of all races, ethnicities, nationalities, religions, gender identities, sexual orientations, relationship structures, body sizes, and backgrounds. My practice is LGBTQIA+ affirming, BIPOC affirming, body-positive, kink-positive, and welcoming of polyamorous and ethically non-monogamous relationships.

I also work with fellow therapists who deserve a place to be clients, not just caregivers. In addition to providing therapy for therapists, I provide clinical supervision for Texas LPC-Associates seeking a trauma-informed supervisor who understands complex trauma work and the realities of private practice.

Begin Your Healing Journey

You do not have to keep carrying patterns that were never meant to define your future. Healing is possible. You don’t have to do it alone. If you are ready to heal unresolved trauma, understand your survival patterns, and reconnect with your authentic self, I would be honored to walk alongside you.

Book Your Online Appointment

Online Therapy in Texas, Colorado, Florida, and Vermont

I provide secure online therapy for adults located in Texas, Colorado, Florida, and Vermont.

Online therapy allows you to receive support from the comfort and privacy of your own space while still engaging in meaningful, effective trauma work.

Areas of Focus

I specialize in helping adults who are struggling with the lasting effects of trauma, including:

• Unresolved childhood trauma

• Complex PTSD (CPTSD)

• Emotional abuse

• Narcissistic abuse recovery

• Intrusive thoughts

• Harsh inner critic and self-doubt

• People-pleasing

• Perfectionism

• Anxiety

• Unhealthy relationship patterns

• Attachment patterns

• Identity rebuilding after controlling relationships or belief systems

Many of my clients are intelligent, thoughtful people who have spent years trying to understand themselves through books, podcasts, or self-reflection, but still feel stuck. Therapy provides the opportunity to explore these patterns in a deeper and more meaningful way.