Today we’d like to introduce you to Lizzy Hollwedel.
Hi Lizzy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Looking back, it feels really obvious now where Lux Counseling started, even though I didn’t know it at the time!
When I was 18, I took a gap semester after high school and spent six months serving at a Zambian orphanage. That experience changed me. I saw firsthand what happens when kids grow up without safety, stability, or love, and how deeply trauma can shape the way someone sees themselves and the world. I worked with young women who were so resilient and so incredible, but you could also see how much they had carried for so long.
It honestly shook me.
Before Zambia, I thought I wanted to be a nurse and care for physical bodies. After Zambia, I came home knowing I wanted to understand the mind. I wanted to know how to help people who were living with trauma, anxiety, and pain that you can’t just “see.”
When I got back to the USA, I remember feeling like I couldn’t go back to normal life the same way. I was wrestling with big questions about suffering, healing, and where God is in the middle of it all. Coming from a faith background, I wanted to understand how my faith and how mental health made sense together, but I didn’t have many examples of what that actually looked like. It felt confusing, and honestly personal, because I was also struggling myself.
So I started searching and learning. I wanted to create a space where people could be vulnerable, where clients could bring their faith into sessions if they wanted to -both to lean on the comfort of faith or to wrestle with the complexities of it. I craved a space where hope could be held for every client, even when they couldn’t find it on their own.
That’s what led me to pursue my undergraduate degree in Psychology at Benedictine College and my Master’s in Counseling from Emporia State University.
Through my education, mentorship, and my own experience as a client in therapy, I’ve seen how powerful it is to be truly seen in all you bring and cared for. When someone sits with you and doesn’t rush you, when they learn your patterns and help you untangle your thoughts, when you don’t have to perform or have it all together— this can bring life changing self-understanding, compassion, and growth.
Therapy and supportive community changed my life personally. It helped me heal from past trauma, untangle patterns in my thinking and learn how to communicate with myself, and learn practical tools to navigate stress and anxiety. It opened my eyes to how badly this kind of care is needed, especially in communities like those I grew up in, where it is sometimes less available or people do not know who to turn to!
In the communities I grew up in, I think a lot of people want help, but they’re scared that therapy will conflict with their beliefs or values. So they stay stuck, sometimes for years. And that breaks my heart, because life-changing support is available.
That desire is what inspired Lux.
Lux Counseling exists to provide excellent mental health care in a way that feels safe, grounded, and trustworthy. We wanted to build a team of skilled therapists who care deeply about the dignity of every person who walks through our doors and who have incredible therapeutic expertise. We get to know each client for who they are.
At its core, Lux is about helping people feel safe enough to be cared for and walked alongside so that they can become the best version and show up well for those they love. Whether we’re supporting a young adult navigating anxiety, or a mom in the postpartum season who feels like she’s barely holding it together, our goal is always the same. We want clients to feel safe, understood, supported and equipped with tools that make a difference in how their days feel, from the inside out.
Today, Lux has grown into a team of eight therapists and two support staff. It still feels surreal sometimes, but I’m incredibly grateful.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Building something you feel called to build is exciting, but it’s also been hard at times of course!
I’ve learned quickly that creating something sustainable takes a lot more than passion. There are constant problems to solve, things to learn, and moments where you’re like… okay, what do we do now?
One of my mantras has become: “no problem is un-answerable.” Someone has figured this out before, and we just need to find the right people and learn from them.
That mindset has helped me so much, both in difficult therapy cases and in the business side of running a practice.
Lux truly wouldn’t be where it is today without the investment of so many people. Therapists, mentors, friends, family, and business coaches who have supported me, encouraged me, and helped build the foundation we have today.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Lux Counseling LLC?
Our mission at Lux is simple. We want to create a highly skilled, trustworthy support system for people who are struggling.
The name Lux means “light” in Latin, and that’s exactly what we hope to bring into the places people feel ashamed of, afraid of, or stuck in.
So many people avoid therapy because it feels scary to shine light on what’s really going on inside. Sometimes they’re embarrassed. Sometimes they feel like they should be “stronger.” Sometimes they think they should just pray harder.
We see this often with expectant and new moms who are struggling. So many of them carry thoughts like, “I should be better at this,” or “other moms seem fine, why am i struggling?” or “if motherhood feels hard, does that mean I’m a bad mom?”
Those thoughts can be so heavy, and they can easily keep someone trapped.
At Lux, we want to help people move out of shame and into confidence. Not perfect confidence, but the kind that says, I can handle this. No matter what comes my way, I know I’ll be okay! I can learn tools. I can heal. I can rely on others because I know I not alone!
Area of expertise
New Motherhood / Perinatal Mental Health:
During pregnancy and postpartum, around 20% of mothers experience significant mental health struggles, whether that looks like postpartum anxiety, depression, OCD, or something else. When you don’t feel like yourself in a season that already demands everything from you, it can feel overwhelming and isolating.
We deeply believe in the importance of mothers caring for themselves, and we’ve seen the ripple effect that happens when a mom is supported. It changes marriages, families, and entire homes.
Five of our therapists have received training through Postpartum Support International and other perinatal mental health programs, which equips us to support moms through pregnancy, birth (including birth trauma), postpartum, and life with a new baby. We’re deeply honored to do this work.
Young Adults:
Another major focus at Lux is walking with young adults in the thick of it, trying to make sense of and take ownership over their life. We work with life transitions, relationship struggles, boundaries, anxiety, stress, and emotional regulation skills.
Any big plans?
As Lux grows, our biggest priority is keeping our standards high. We never want growth to come at the cost of quality.
We want to keep building something sustainable that can support our clients through different seasons, especially pivotal transitions like into a new career, a move, marriage, motherhood or different seasons of family life. Clinically, we’re committed to always learning and staying humble. We really see ourselves as lifelong students in this work.
One of our goals this year is to grow in nervous system regulation work, especially through Polyvagal Theory. We’ve seen how powerful it is when someone understands what’s happening in their body and learns how to regulate and relate to themselves.
We also believe firmly on our team at Lux that we have a responsibility to take care of ourselves as therapists. We talk often about healing, regulation, and wellness, so we constantly strive to live that out in our own lives.The healthier we are, the better we can show up for our clients long-term.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Luxcounselingllc.com
