Hey there, I’m Hilary.
Owner and therapist at Resonance Psychotherapy in Austin, Texas, where I specialize in values-based therapy to help men, young adults and couples:
improve their relationships
explore questions of meaning, identity and self worth
navigate life transitions
manage intense emotions, self-doubt and uncertainty
and make moves towards the person they want to be or the changes they want to see in their lives
My Background
Before becoming a therapist, I spent more than a decade in the entertainment and events industry after graduating from Belmont University in Nashville, TN in 2011 with a Bachelors in Music Business and Production. I wore a lot of hats and made many pivots over the years, shifting from work as an audio engineer in recording studios to broader production roles in TV, film, live events and experiential marketing.
While the work was fun, diverse, and exciting, it was also intense, stressful and all-consuming. Over time, I started feeling drained and unfulfilled and like I was pouring all my time and energy into work I didn’t find particularly meaningful. I was craving work I could sink my teeth into intellectually - something I would be excited to learn about for the rest of my life.
I’d always been drawn to psychology, philosophy, human behavior, and questions about how to live well and with purpose and intention. Using those interests as my guide, I went back to school to train as a mental health counselor in 2019. Now, I feel lucky to spend my days supporting brave people as they grapple with difficult circumstances, tough questions, tender emotions, and painful conflicts in the pursuit of well-being.
Personal Values
Values are aspirational, chosen ways of being in the world that can serve as guideposts for action in moments of uncertainty and sources of vitality and meaning. The ones you see here are mine.
If I’m feeling out of whack, I can usually narrow it down to something missing in one of these areas. I hope these help you get to know me a little better.
I’d love to hear about yours.
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Hopeful skepticism is the critical thinking of a scientist combined with a belief in human goodness and the potential for change. Dr. Jamil Zaki calls it the “middle path” between naive optimism and toxic cynicism (a constant pull).
As a questioner and doubter by nature, I’ve found that practicing hopeful skepticism helps keep me from holding too tightly to any one assumption, belief or perception of myself, others or the world (a daily struggle!) that gets in the way of openness to new ideas and perspectives. Plus, it’s a lot more enjoyable than being a cynical SOB.
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Humility is about having a grounded sense of my own importance in the world and operating from the mindset that I’m neither uniquely special nor a spectacular piece of shit. In practice, I try to be open to being wrong (hard), give myself some grace when I make a mistake (harder), and embrace things I think I know well with a beginner’s mind.
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If you pegged me as an introvert, you are correct. I prefer quiet spaces and require frequent alone time to recharge my batteries, clear my mind of the noise of modern life and reconnect to what matters to me. If I don’t get this, I will turn into a shell of a person, literally start to slur my words and will probably cry at random intervals.
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There’s not much that energizes me more than learning new things. It’s what brought me to this field in the first place. I love exploring new ideas, trying new things, and challenging myself in the pursuit of knowledge and growth. Thus, my YouTube algorithm is chaotic and my TBR booklist is stupidly long.
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I want to laugh everyday and experience moments of pleasure and joy, both of which feel radical and hard to prioritize these days. I find this in small ways by watching an episode of a beloved comedy, being silly with my husband, playing with my nephews with phones locked away, listening closely to a piece of music, or savoring my morning cup of coffee.
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My form of spirituality is seeking experiences of awe and wonder- I yearn for that feeling of reverence, respect, and connection to something much bigger than me. I find it most often in nature, like at Half Dome in Yosemite Valley, in the standing-room-only section of a packed live show, or even in my favorite movies, like Jurassic Park (decades later and the scene where Dr.’s Grant and Sattler see the dinos for the first time still gets me).
Credentials & Training
Master of Arts in Counseling, Saint Edward’s University (2023)
LPC-Associate, licensed in Texas (License #92016). Supervised by M. Michelle Hawn, MA, LPC-S
Out-of-state telehealth provider in Florida
Specialized training in the application of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), Gottman Method Couples Therapy and in trauma-informed practice, eating disorders, and supporting and affirming LGBTQ+ and ADHD/neurodivergent folks and identities.
I opened my private practice in October 2024 and continue to serve men, young adults and couples in Central Austin.
Music is my first and most enduring passion, so outside the therapy room you’ll likely find me engaging with it in some form. I’m always on the hunt for new bands and songs to obsess over and feel like a giddy teenager when I find them. Check out what I’ve been listening to lately here: RP Heavy Rotation playlist.
I also enjoy playing piano (my Yamaha U3 is my most cherished possession), weightlifting and functional fitness, reading speculative fiction with an existential bent, and spending time with my husband and two cats, Moses and Zucchini.
Outside of Therapy
The sacred music corner in my home “studio.”
Moses (big spoon) and Zucchini. Yes, they actually sleep like that.