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Hilary Tarkington Stowers

From Lyme to Light: How Hilary Tarkington Stowers is Redefining Holistic Mental Health Care in Virginia

When life hands you a diagnosis, it often becomes a turning point—and for Hilary Tarkington Stowers, it was the start of a completely new path. Today, Hilary is the founder of Holistic Health and Nutrition, LLC, operating under Hilary Stowers Counseling, where she offers mental health services across Virginia. But her journey to becoming a holistic mental health counselor wasn’t a straight line—it was a healing mission forged through personal struggle, transformation, and an unwavering commitment to helping others find their light.

A Life Changed by Lyme

Hilary spent over two decades in a field she didn’t love, before her world shifted dramatically in 2001. While living in California, she unknowingly contracted Lyme disease, which went undiagnosed for nearly nine years. As her health deteriorated, it sparked a personal and professional reckoning. Once she relocated to Virginia—where Lyme is endemic—she finally received a diagnosis from holistic practitioners. That experience ignited her interest in integrative health, leading her to become certified as a Holistic Health Counselor through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC.

She began by helping others navigate nutrition and lifestyle changes after chronic illness diagnoses, particularly Lyme. But as she worked with clients struggling with emotional eating, weight gain, and burnout, Hilary saw the deeper emotional wounds driving those behaviors—abuse, trauma, toxic relationships. That realization planted a new seed: maybe it was time to become a licensed therapist.

Blending Mental Health & Holistic Practice

In 2020, Hilary pivoted—enrolling at George Mason University to earn a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. With her previous background in holistic nutrition and her own lived experience with chronic illness, she built a practice that uniquely blends traditional therapy modalities (like CBT and EMDR) with a wider lens that includes hormone health, nutrition, and trauma-informed care.

When clients come to Hilary presenting with anxiety or depression, she digs deep. Is it circumstantial? Hormonal? The result of a strained relationship or suppressed trauma? Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all approach, she explores the root cause—whether that’s unresolved grief, chronic illness, or perimenopausal hormone shifts.

Calling Out Medical Gaslighting

One of Hilary’s most powerful messages is the reality of medical gaslighting—something she’s experienced firsthand. From having her early Lyme symptoms dismissed, to struggling for years with a condition called lipedema (a misunderstood and underdiagnosed lymphatic disorder), Hilary has had to be her own fierce advocate.

She knows how it feels to be dismissed, unheard, or reduced to symptoms. That’s why today, she works closely with HRT-literate OBGYNs, naturopathic doctors, and Lyme-literate MDs, making sure her clients aren’t navigating these health journeys alone or in the dark.

Reigniting the Flame Within

For Hilary, mental health isn’t just about survival—it’s about reclaiming your spark. She often describes every human having a “flame in the center of their chest,” one that can be dimmed by trauma, stress, or self-abandonment. Whether it’s grief, a toxic job, an abusive relationship, or unprocessed trauma, Hilary helps her clients reconnect with their inner fire—so they can show up for themselves and their families fully, not just on autopilot.

And she knows: when women heal, the ripple effects extend through generations.

The Power of EMDR & Trauma-Informed Support

Hilary is also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), a powerful therapeutic technique used to treat PTSD and emotional trauma. After personally using EMDR to process a traumatic car accident and the passing of her mother, she now offers it to clients navigating everything from breakups to childhood abuse.

What’s powerful about EMDR, she explains, is how it helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer hold the same weight. “It’s like putting gauze over the memory—it’s still there, but it doesn’t feel as raw,” she shared.

Supporting Clients Through Grief

Hilary is also a Certified Grief Educator through David Kessler’s grief education program. After caring for her grandparents and later losing her mother to colon cancer in 2023, she became passionate about helping others navigate loss. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, the end of a marriage, or even the grief of unmet expectations, she teaches clients—and society at large—that grief deserves space, understanding, and community.

Her mission: to help people become grief-literate and offer more than clichés and “thoughts and prayers.” Sometimes, support looks like a breakfast casserole, a wrist corsage at a memorial, or just sitting beside someone in silence.

More Than a Counselor

Whether it’s advocating for medical aid in dying laws, empowering women to reclaim their agency, or guiding clients through trauma recovery, Hilary Tarkington Stowers is redefining what it means to truly care for the whole person—mind, body, and soul.

And she’s not just here to listen—she’s here to light the path back to wholeness.

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Interested in working with Hilary?
She offers free 15-minute consultations to help clients see if she’s the right fit—and if not, she’ll help you find the right person. Because for her, it’s not about the ego—it’s about the ethics.

You can learn more or reach out below.

Reach Hilary Tarkington Stowers Below