Jacqueline Hirk
With over 17 years of experience in the mental health field, I offer a grounded, relational, and thoughtful approach to therapy. I have worked across diverse clinical settings and with individuals from a wide range of cultural, social, and life backgrounds. This breadth of experience allows me to adapt my work to the unique needs, values, and goals of each client rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model. I approach therapy as a collaborative process rooted in curiosity, respect, and emotional safety. Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or unsure where to begin. My role is to create a space where you feel supported enough to explore what is happening beneath the surface, while also developing clarity and direction. Rather than focusing on “fixing” problems, I help clients build insight, emotional capacity, and practical tools that support lasting change. My work is informed by evidence-based practices and shaped by a deep appreciation for the human and relational aspects of healing. I value authenticity, trust, and attunement in the therapeutic relationship, and I believe meaningful change occurs when clients feel genuinely understood.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
The first session is an opportunity to slow down and begin in a way that feels intentional and manageable. We will focus on getting to know one another and understanding what brings you to therapy at this point in your life. Some clients arrive with a clear concern; others have a general sense that something is not working as it once did. Both are welcome. I will ask questions to better understand your current concerns, emotional experiences, relationships, family background, and coping strategies. These questions are meant to provide context, not to pathologize and we will move at a pace that feels respectful of your boundaries. I take a trauma informed and attachment focused approach, meaning I am attentive to safety, consent, and how past relationships may be influencing present patterns. We will also review confidentiality, session structure, and what working together might look like. The first session is not about solving everything, but about establishing clarity, trust, and a foundation for meaningful work. It is also a chance for you to assess fit and ask questions. Therapy works best when it feels relationally safe and aligned.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
What distinguishes my approach is the integration of depth oriented, trauma informed therapy with a collaborative and grounded style. I specialize in working with individuals who are high-functioning externally but feel internally strained, disconnected, or impacted by unresolved attachment wounds and family dynamics. I pay close attention to patterns of safety, trust, boundaries, and relational rupture both in your life history and in present relationships. Therapy is not limited to symptom management; it is a relational process where patterns can be explored, understood, and repaired over time. The therapeutic relationship itself often becomes a meaningful space for insight and healing, particularly for clients who have experienced emotional misattunement or invalidation. My style is attuned, non-pathologizing, and thoughtfully paced. I balance insight oriented exploration with practical strategies that support emotional regulation, self compassion, and healthier ways of relating. I am also deeply committed to LGBTQIA affirming and culturally responsive care, where identity, family systems, and social context are treated as central to the work rather than peripheral.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I am best suited to work with reflective, high-functioning individuals who may be successful in many areas of life yet feel emotionally burdened, disconnected, or unfulfilled. Common concerns include anxiety, chronic self criticism, relationship challenges, and long standing patterns shaped by attachment wounds or complex family systems. Many of my clients are adults of emotionally unavailable, inconsistent, or demanding family environments and are seeking greater self trust, emotional security, and healthier relational patterns. I also work closely with individuals navigating identity development, life transitions, and the intersections of family, culture, and lived experience.
Location
VirtualMy treatment methods
EMDR
I am certified in EMDR and integrate it within a trauma informed, attachment focused framework. My work prioritizes careful preparation, emotional safety, and pacing, so clients feel resourced and supported before engaging in reprocessing. EMDR can help reduce the emotional intensity of distressing memories, heal attachment injuries, and shift long standing patterns that continue to impact present day emotions and relationships. Treatment is collaborative and guided by each client’s readiness, goals, and sense of stability.
Attachment-based
My attachment based approach helps clients understand how early relationships and family experiences continue to influence emotional patterns, self worth, and relationships today. Therapy focuses on creating a safe, attuned, and supportive space where clients can explore these dynamics at a thoughtful pace. Through increased awareness and relational repair, clients often develop greater emotional security, healthier boundaries, and more fulfilling connections with others and themselves.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I use an IFS-informed, trauma responsive approach to help clients better understand the different parts of themselves shaped by past experiences. This work emphasizes curiosity, compassion, and safety, allowing both protective and vulnerable parts to be explored without judgment. As clients strengthen self leadership and internal balance, they often experience improved emotional regulation, reduced inner conflict, and a more integrated sense of self.
Trauma-Focused CBT
I integrate CBT in a flexible, trauma informed manner to help clients identify and shift thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. Rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach, strategies are tailored to each client’s lived experience, values, and goals. This work supports practical coping skills, increased insight, and more adaptive responses to stress, while remaining sensitive to attachment history and past trauma.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness based interventions are woven into therapy to support present moment awareness of thoughts, emotions, and bodily responses. Practices are introduced gradually and with attention to safety, helping clients build emotional regulation and respond more intentionally rather than reactively. This approach often fosters greater self compassion, grounding, and a deeper sense of connection to oneself.