Where Therapy Feels Human Accessible and Grounded in Real Connection – Interview with Lilyan Fowler

Lilyan Fowler, M.S., LPC-Associate, NCC (Lily), is a licensed mental health counselor based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area and the founder of Fowler Counseling, a Texas-based telehealth private practice established in 2025. They earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Science in Mental Health Clinical Counseling from Tarleton State University and currently serve students, faculty, and staff there while maintaining their private practice.

With a professional background spanning hospice and palliative care, disability support services, and higher education, Lily brings a deeply informed, holistic perspective to their work. Their clinical approach is grounded in attachment theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy, polyvagal science, and somatic, experiential modalities, allowing clients to better understand emotional patterns, heal relational wounds, and build sustainable self-trust.

Fowler Counseling was created to address gaps in access to mental health care, particularly for underserved and marginalized populations. The practice operates on a private-pay model with hardship rate options, emphasizing accessibility, flexibility, and dignity in care. In addition to individual therapy, they provide psychoeducation and guest speaking services, recognizing education as a powerful tool for long-term change.

Lily is known for a warm, direct, and relational therapeutic style that balances evidence-based practice with authenticity and compassion. Their work focuses on supporting clients through life transitions, identity exploration, trauma, and relational challenges, to empower individuals to define personal success, foster healthy relationships, and move forward with clarity and confidence.

Lilyan Fowler, M.S., LPC-Associate, NCC, Founder-Mental Health Counselor

Who is Lilyan Fowler?

My name is Lilyan Fowler (Lily), and I am a mental health counselor based in the Dallas–Fort Worth area of Texas. I come from a large family and grew up in the metroplex, which shaped my appreciation for community, connection, and diversity. After high school, I attended Tarleton State University, where I earned my B.S. in Psychology and later my M.S. in Mental Health Clinical Counseling. I opened my private practice, Fowler Counseling, in May 2025.

My professional life has been rooted in service, from providing hospice and palliative care to the elderly, to rendering respite services to support individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities, to now, where I serve students, faculty, and staff in my full-time role at Tarleton State University. Each chapter has reinforced my belief that we are all capable and deserve the opportunity to grow and change.

At home in Azle, Texas, I live with my wife and our three fur babies. My daily life is woven with creativity and comfort, gardening, exploring herbal medicine, cooking, singing, doing arts and crafts, spending time outdoors, and unwinding with Gilmore Girls. As a neurospicy human, I navigate the world with curiosity, humor, and the occasional moment of “Wait, what was I saying?”

Growing up as a bilateral below-the-knee amputee taught me early on that the only limits that truly matter are the ones we choose to accept. I’ve always been determined to defy expectations, first through dance, then sports and band, and eventually competitive figure skating. Skating became a place where I could feel free, powerful, and fully myself. Music and skating helped me find my truth and navigate a world not built with me in mind. Over time, I learned not just how to move through that world, but how to rise above it, and now I’m passionate about helping others do the same.

What inspired you to build Fowler Counseling and focus on supporting individuals through life transitions and emotional challenges?

I truly believe I was called to help people. I know what it feels like to be marginalized, misunderstood, or overlooked, but I also know the power of growth and resilience. As a child, I dreamed of being a teacher for children with special needs, then a physical therapist for people with disabilities. I even sat down to write a book, a very serious “child-author” kind of book, based on the idea that changing one life could ripple outward and change the world. My younger self knew what my older self would grow into. Everyone deserves love, acceptance, freedom, and the chance to grow.

When I became a counselor, I saw how mental and physical healthcare are deeply connected yet often treated separately. I knew I wanted to create a practice that approached care holistically, removing barriers like insurance and making support accessible regardless of background or circumstance.

Six months after graduating and completing my internship under Dr. Bryan Duncan at New Leaf Services LLC, I began building Fowler Counseling. I opened my telehealth practice in May 2025, serving clients across Texas with a focus on low-income and marginalized communities. I offer private-pay, hardship-rate, and psychoeducation/guest-speaking services because I believe knowledge is just as powerful as therapy in creating lasting change.

How would you describe your therapeutic approach and the unique experience clients can expect when working with you?

I see therapy as a journey of flight. Most people come in with their wings tucked or ruffled, unsure if they can take off. My approach, rooted in Emotionally Focused Therapy and attachment science, helps us explore the emotions and relationship patterns that shaped you, so you can understand not just what you feel, but why you learned to feel and respond that way.

I’m honest and direct, but never judgmental. You’re the pilot of your life, I’m just the co-pilot until you feel confident navigating your own sky.

Therapy with me is deeply human. We can curse, laugh, be silly, or vent. So, grab your coffee, a cozy blanket, or your favorite hoodie, get comfortable, so we can get uncomfortable, because that’s where growth happens.

Clients can expect a warm, creative, relational space where attachment wounds can heal, emotions make sense, and self-discovery takes flight. My goal is to help clients reconnect with their inner resources, heal attachment wounds, and define their own path to personal success, so they can trust their wings and fly free on their own terms.

What are the most common struggles your clients face, and how do you help them navigate these challenges?

Many clients come to me feeling misunderstood, overwhelmed, out of control, or stuck in cycles of low self-esteem, hyper-criticism, or insecure attachment. Some are navigating grief, trauma, discrimination, or relationship struggles, while others are exploring their identity, trying to understand who they are and where they belong. These experiences can make daily life feel like flying blind with no clear sky in sight.

My approach is collaborative and relational. Together, we explore the emotional patterns that weigh clients down, uncover hidden strengths, and reconnect with inner resources that have always been there. I help clients discover their authentic selves and gain the confidence to navigate challenging emotional terrain.

Therapy with me is a space where clients can show up exactly as they are, serious, playful, frustrated, silly, or just plain messy. We laugh, vent, explore, and sometimes even curse, whatever it takes to get comfortable enough to grow. The work can be challenging, but it’s transformative. Clients gradually learn to trust themselves, embrace their identity, navigate emotional turbulence, and soar with renewed clarity and confidence.

How do you integrate evidence-based methods with a compassionate, personalized counselling style in your sessions?

I blend evidence-based modalities with genuine connection, grounding my work in attachment theory, polyvagal science, and somatic, experiential approaches. We explore not just what you feel, but why you feel it, how your nervous system responds, how relationships shape your patterns, and how your body learns safety again.

All of this happens in a humanistic, client-centered space where you can show up exactly as you are, you are not too much, you are not broken, you are a wounded warrior.

My goal is always to help you build the inner resources and self-trust that make lasting change possible.

What makes your practice different from other counselling services, and why do clients choose you specifically?

I’m not here to “fix” you, slap on a label, or hand you a checklist for how to live. I’m a wounded warrior helping other warriors rediscover their inner fire. I’ve lived through more in a couple of decades than some people face in a lifetime, and that lived experience shows up in my work.

Therapy with me is real and human. No performance required. You just need the courage to say, “Life doesn’t have to feel this hard, and I don’t have to do it alone.”

Clients choose me because, like them, I know what it’s like to feel underestimated, misunderstood, or too much and not enough all at once. I’m here to say, “I see you. I support you. What do you need?” Together, we build something honest, courageous, and healing, and your story isn’t over. It’s just a new chapter.

Can you share a transformational moment or a success story that reflects the impact of your work?

I once worked with a client who came into therapy feeling deeply wounded, grieving, traumatized, and overwhelmed, so much so that their relationship with themselves and others was paying the cost.

Over time, I witnessed a remarkable transformation. This client developed renewed confidence, cognitive flexibility, clearer boundaries, and increased self-awareness. Someone who once felt out of control began moving toward personal success while also recognizing where further growth was needed.

No amount of thank-you, acknowledgment, compensation, or appreciation can capture the level of honor and gratitude I feel for being trusted to witness that journey. Moments like these are powerful reminders of why I do this work.

What do you believe people misunderstand most about therapy, and how does your approach help shift those misconceptions?

One of the biggest misconceptions about therapy is that you need a diagnosis or a crisis to justify going. Therapy isn’t only for emergencies, it can be self-care, preventive care, and maintenance for overall wellbeing.

Coming to therapy doesn’t make you “crazy,” guarantee a diagnosis, or mean you need medication. It means you dare to ask for support and have the courage to sit with discomfort so you can grow into the person you’re becoming.

Sometimes that growth looks like cleaning out the dust bunnies under the bed, tending to the hidden, ignored, or uncomfortable parts of yourself so you can feel lighter and more whole. My approach offers a compassionate, collaborative space where clients can do exactly that, without judgment or pressure.

What message would you give someone who is hesitant to seek support but knows they need help?

Admitting we need help is one of the hardest things we can do, but asking for it and accepting it can feel even harder. My own therapy journey began over ten years ago, and at first, it was painful and uncomfortable.

But through it, I found acceptance, peace, and my authentic self. I learned to stand strong in my convictions, advocate for my needs, and show up for my inner child as their warrior. I discovered that my identities, trauma, and story didn’t define me, they were simply chapters in my lifelong novel.

Therapy is a space to ask, “What’s jamming your filing cabinet?”, to uncover the blocks, clutter, and confusion that keep you from feeling organized, understood, and whole. You may not see it yet or believe it right now, but you deserve to feel loved, safe, and understood. And you can have that.

How can potential clients connect with you, and what should they expect during their first session with Fowler Counseling?

Clients can contact me via email, phone, or the Contact Us form on my website. You can also connect with me on LinkedIn, Psychology Today, Instagram, Facebook, and Threads. For free resources, updates, and promotions, you can subscribe to my newsletter.

Your first session is a relaxed, no-pressure meet-and-greet. We’ll get to know each other, explore expectations for the therapeutic relationship, discuss current struggles and history, and begin setting your therapeutic goals. Along the way, we’ll laugh, share a few puns, and, if you’re anything like me, enjoy a good cup of coffee.

Follow me on Facebook. Instagram and LinkedIn for more info!

Read more from Lilyan Fowler, M.S., LPC-Associate, NCC