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a Holistic Approach to Therapy,
Honoring the Unique Experiences of Each Client

Promoting health, healing, self-awareness, and self-empowerment.

About

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Hilary Tarkington Stowers is the owner and founder of Holistic Health and Nutrition, LLC, DBA Hilary Stowers Counseling.

RESIDENT IN COUNSELING

VA License #0704017638

NATIONAL CERTIFIED COUNSELOR

License #1737155

Effecting Meaningful Change

Hilary believes in the mind-body connection and the importance of taking a comprehensive approach to address the overall well-being of clients. She is dedicated to creating a safe and supportive environment to share, explore, heal, and grow.

Much of Hilary’s empathetic and compassionate mindset stems from her own previous health challenges and personal losses. Hilary believes in making meaning out of life’s hardships, and helping her clients do the same.

Prior to entering the field of mental health counseling, Hilary had an extensive career in business and finance. Her own medical travails led her to pursue a certification in holistic health counseling, which, in turn, led to obtaining an advanced degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Melding the two, and synthesizing grief training along with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) allows her to offer a holistic, integrated framework to treat clients.

Background
and Education

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

FAIRFAX, VA

MEd, with a Concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

BOWLING GREEN STATE UNIVERSITY

BOWLING GREEN, OH

BS, Journalism with a Political Science Minor

NATIONAL BOARD FOR CERTIFIED COUNSELORS (NBCC)

National Certified Counselor (NCC)

INSTITUTE FOR INTEGRATIVE NUTRITION

NEW YORK, NY

Holistic Health Counselor Certification

EYE MOVEMENT DESENSITIZATION REPROCESSING INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION

EDMR Trained Therapist

DAVID KESSLER GRIEF TRAINING

Certified Grief Educator

Professional Affiliations

Services

Areas of Expertise

Grief / Anxiety / Depression / Trauma / Adjustment Issues / Aging / Caregiver Issues / Lyme Disease + Other Chronic Health Conditions / Dealing with Challenging Partners / Communication Issues / Coping Skills / Divorce / Emotional Abuse / Family Conflict / Food Allergies and Intolerances / Headaches + Migraines / Life Transitions / Perfectionism / PTSD / Exiting Toxic Relationships / Self-esteem / Stress / Social Anxiety / Weight Loss / Women's Health / Women's Issues / Work Stress

Therapeutic Approaches

With a vast array of therapeutic modalities in Hilary’s “toolkit,” she is able to take a tailored holistic approach – unique and customized to each individual.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Grief Counseling

Integrative Therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy

Motivational Interviewing (MI)

Narrative Therapy

Person-Centered or Client-Centered Therapy

Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychodynamic Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT)

Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)

Strength-Based Therapy

Trauma-Informed Therapy

A mindfulness-based approach that helps individuals develop psychological flexibility.

Instead of struggling to eliminate difficult thoughts and emotions, ACT teaches clients to accept them while committing to actions that align with their values. Through mindfulness, cognitive defusion, and behavior change strategies, ACT empowers individuals to break free from unhelpful patterns and live a more meaningful, fulfilling life. It is effective for anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, and other challenges.

A practical, evidence-based approach that helps individuals identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.

By focusing on the connection between thoughts, emotions, and actions, CBT teaches effective coping strategies to manage challenges such as anxiety, depression, stress, etc. Through structured techniques, clients learn to reframe negative thinking patterns, develop healthier responses, and build skills for long-term emotional well-being.

Created in 1987 by Dr. Francine Shapiro, EMDR is a therapy designed to help people heal from distressing memories and trauma.

It works by guiding clients to recall traumatic experiences while focusing on forms of bilateral stimulation. This process helps the brain reprocess painful memories in a way that reduces their emotional intensity. EMDR can help clients feel less triggered by past events, relieve symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, and depression, and promote emotional healing.

Helping clients navigate loss with compassion and understanding.

Trained by David Kessler, his approach acknowledges the six stages of grief (expanding on Elisabeth Kübler-Ross’s five stages) and emphasizes that grief is a unique, personal journey. Methods employed help clients process emotions, find meaning after loss, and develop coping strategies to move forward while honoring their loved ones. The goal is not to "get over" grief, but to integrate it into life in a way that fosters healing and growth.

Designed in the 1980s by Dr. Richard Schwartz, IFS takes a transformative, evidence-based approach that helps clients understand and heal their inner world.

IFS views the mind as made up of different "parts." Schwartz’s model features the “Eight Cs of Core Self,” including:

calm, curiosity, clarity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness.

This is where clients strive to operate from in order to bring harmony and healing to these parts. Parts work includes:

“Exiles”: a client’s most vulnerable parts.

“Protector parts”: with “Managers” who operate proactively and “Firefighters” who take a reactive stance to dealing with difficult emotions.

This therapeutic modality is especially effective for trauma, anxiety, and self-compassion work, empowering clients to develop inner balance and self-acceptance.

A client-centered, collaborative approach that helps individuals explore and resolve ambivalence about making changes in their lives.

MI focuses on enhancing motivation by helping clients recognize their own reasons for change, build confidence, and develop a commitment to taking action. Open-ended questions, reflective listening, and affirmation are techniques used to guide the conversation, making it easier for clients to move toward healthier behaviors.

MI is particularly effective for addressing issues like addiction, health-related behaviors, and life changes, and it empowers clients to make decisions in a way that feels right for them.

A therapeutic approach that views problems as separate from the person.

Narrative Therapy encourages clients to see their life as a series of stories, and helps them reframe or rewrite the narrative in a way that empowers them. Rather than focusing on diagnoses or flaws, Narrative Therapy focuses on the strengths, values, and skills that clients possess, enabling them to take control of their own stories.

This approach is especially helpful for addressing issues like identity, trauma, and relationship struggles, helping clients find meaning and a sense of agency in their lives.

Developed in the 1940s by Carl Rogers.

A humanistic approach focusing on creating a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can explore their feelings and experiences.

Clients receive unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness, allowing them to feel accepted and understood. A supportive environment helps individuals access their inner resources, leading to growth, self-awareness, and positive change.

This therapeutic modality is often used to address issues like self-esteem, anxiety, and to foster personal development.

A deep, insight-oriented approach based on the work of Sigmund Freud.

Psychoanalytic Therapy explores how unconscious thoughts, feelings, and past experiences influence current behavior and relationships. Through techniques like free association, dream analysis, and exploring early childhood experiences, this therapy helps clients gain awareness of underlying emotional patterns. The goal is to uncover repressed feelings, resolve inner conflicts, and promote emotional healing.

Particularly helpful for those looking to explore long-standing issues, trauma, or complex emotional struggles.

A therapeutic approach that focuses on understanding how past experiences, particularly those from childhood, shape current behavior, relationships, and emotions.

Psychodynamic Therapy helps clients explore unconscious thoughts and feelings, often revealing unresolved conflicts or emotional patterns that influence their lives today. Through this exploration, clients gain insight, improve self-awareness, and develop healthier ways to cope with stress, anxiety, and relationship challenges.

This approach is ideal for those seeking a deeper understanding of their inner world and how past experiences impact their present life.

Developed by Albert Ellis, this is a therapeutic practice that is practical, action-oriented approach that helps individuals identify and challenge irrational beliefs that lead to negative emotions and behaviors.

REBT teaches clients to recognize how their thoughts influence their feelings and actions. By replacing irrational thoughts with more realistic, helpful ones, clients can reduce stress, anxiety, and frustration, and develop healthier, more positive ways of thinking and acting.

Particularly effective for those dealing with anxiety, depression, anger, and self-esteem issues.

A therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and building upon clients’ existing strengths, resources, and positive qualities to help overcome challenges.

Instead of focusing solely on problems, this approach highlights what client are already doing well and how to use those strengths to create positive change in their lives. The goal is to empower clients, increase resilience, and help develop confidence in the ability to handle life’s difficulties.

Strength-Based Therapy is ideal for individuals seeking to improve self-esteem, build coping strategies, and make lasting positive changes.

An approach that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on a client’s life and focuses on creating a safe, supportive environment for healing.

This therapy helps clients understand how past traumatic experiences may affect their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Clients are guided to process trauma in a gentle, non-judgmental way, ensuring that the healing process honors their pace and emotional boundaries. The goal is to empower clients, restore a sense of control, and promote recovery and resilience.

Trauma-informed therapy is particularly helpful for those dealing with PTSD, childhood trauma, abuse, or any experience that has deeply impacted their sense of safety and well-being.

A type of talk therapy that helps clients manage intense emotions, improve relationships, and cope with distress in healthier ways.

DBT combines mindfulness, acceptance, and practical skills for handling difficult situations. This therapy is especially helpful for people who feel emotions very deeply, or struggle with things like mood swings or impulsive behavior. It’s structured and skill-based, with a focus on building a life that feels more balanced and meaningful.