Emily S. Hill, LCSW

As a white, straight, cisgender woman, I used to feel uncomfortable occupying this space at all, and I don’t take being here lightly. I task myself with continous learning about LGBTQ+ issues as well as the practice of decolonizing therapy and understanding the framework, impact, and harm medical and mental health services has caused the community. I’m constantly aware of the imbalance of power and lack of trust this has caused and seek to reconcile this as much and as often as I can in therapeutic practice. I carry this with me into all sessions with the personal belief that therapy is collaborative, it is directed by the client and guided and supported by my clinical expertise and knowledge, and that ultimately the answers and resolutions you seek reside inside of you. We are both experts but you are the expert of you, and I trust that and utilize that in my practice.
In my continuing education, I regularly seek out in-depth trainings lead by BIPOC and LGBTQ+ practioners. I also intentionally follow these practices and many other within the community on Instagram and Tiktok so that I’m daily seeing personal perspectives, trends, news, and what is valued by these communities. It’s incredibly important to me to saturate my personal and professional world with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices. In my personal life, I grew up with several gay family members in my life. Even when indoctrinated by my Christian faith , I was never convinced that being gay was a sin and in college I snuck away to complete SafeZone training. I say snuck, because I was heavily involved in a campus ministry that many have since labeled as a cult. As myself and my friends deconstructed this experience and our faiths, a majority of our cohort came out and identify as LGBTQ+, including about 75% of my closest friends at this time. I’ve also had the honor of seeing someone very close to me transition and assist in their post-surgery aftercare and recovery. None of this replaces the unique and firsthand experience of being LGBTQ+, but I hope it demonstrates that my love for the community goes far beyond just a professional interest. In the first five years of my career, I worked as a crisis clinician and within a peer-led crisis respite facility. This is where I found my passion for working with trans adolescents and young adults and the unique issues they face, along with treating mood and psychotic disorders and suicidal ideation. In addition to LGBT+ issues, my specialities include providing size-inclusive care from a HAES perspective, grief, ADHD, depression, other mood and psychotic disorders, exploration and understanding of identity, deconstruction and religious trauma, and adjustment to life transitions. I’m in the process of intensive training to increase my therapeutic competency in treating trauma-related and dissociative disorders through EMDR, Multidimensional Family Therapy, and Internal Family Stystems, and will also be going through a more intensive training on learning and applying decolonizing principles to my practice. I serve ages 12 and up with a preference of working with women, feminine identifying, trans, and non-binary individuals as well as those located in rural areas/Appalachia. I am licensed to provide services in the state of Tennessee and I am a part of the Virtual Clinic through Centerstone where I accept Medicaid, Medicare, and most insurances. I can also provide services through my part-time private practice where I accept private pay only.
I would describe my personal style as affirming and cozy, leading with curiosity and care and never assuming, and….silly! Therapy can be very serious and rightfully so, but I believe humor and laughter is also essential and balancing. My previous supervisors have praised my ability to build rapport, trust, and connection quickly through non-judgemental responses and authenticity. That strength is essential to my guiding belief that the therapeutic relationship is the vehicle for change.
Take good care, and I hope to hear from you soon!