About Counseling Austin Collective
Clarity Backed by Expertise
What is Counseling Austin Collective?Counseling Austin Collective is a group of three licensed therapists in Austin, Texas, who are longtime colleagues and practice collaboratively. They each run their own private practice.
Is Counseling Austin Collective a group practice?No. Each therapist runs an independent practice with her own fees, insurance, schedule and office. You contact the therapist you want to work with directly.
Who are the therapists at Counseling Austin Collective?Roxanne Watson, LPC (grief and loss), Jill Hokanson, LCSW-S (couples, anxiety, highly sensitive people, clinical supervision) and Ellen Lindsey, LCSW (executive and leadership coaching). Each has her own page with background, fees and contact details.
How did Counseling Austin Collective start? The three therapists met in the early 2010s at Therapy Austin, which Ellen Lindsey led from 2012 to 2022 as it grew to five locations, 120 counselors and more than 1,000 clients a week. After 2020, each left to open a solo practice, and they formed the collective to stay connected.
Do you serve clients outside central Austin, like Round Rock or West Lake Hills?Yes. Clients from Round Rock, Cedar Park, Pflugerville, West Lake Hills and the rest of the Austin area see us in person or online. Telehealth is available to anyone located in Texas.
How much experience do your therapists have?Roxanne Watson has practiced counseling since 2010, Jill Hokanson since 2015, and Ellen Lindsey since 2022. Together they have decades of clinical leadership and thousands of hours of practice.
What's the difference between an LPC and an LCSW?Both are master's-level clinicians licensed in Texas to provide psychotherapy. An LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor) trained in a counseling program; an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) trained in social work, which adds a focus on family and social systems. The "-S" in LCSW-S means the state approved that clinician to supervise other social workers.
Where are your offices in Austin?Roxanne Watson sees clients at 601 Farley Drive, Austin, TX 78753, in the Windsor Hills and North Lamar area.
Jill Hokanson's office is at 8400 N. Mopac Expy., Suite 303, Austin, TX 78759, near North Crossing and Spicewood Forest.
Ellen Lindsey usually meets coaching clients at their workplace.
Getting Started
How do I choose the right therapist at Counseling Austin Collective?
Choose by what you want help with. For grief and loss contact Roxanne Watson. For couples counseling, anxiety, people-pleasing, perfectionism or high sensitivity, contact Jill Hokanson. For leadership and team coaching, contact Ellen Lindsey.
What happens in the first therapy session?
The first session is a chance to talk about what brought you in, what you want to change and whether the fit feels right.
Do you see children or teenagers?
Yes, teens 14 and older. Jill Hokanson, LCSW-S sees adolescents ages 14 and up, along with adults and couples. The collective does not see younger children.
Do you offer a free consultation?
Yes. Every therapist in the collective offers a no-cost consultation. Roxanne Watson offers a free 15-minute phone call, Jill Hokanson offers a free consultation you can book online, and Ellen Lindsey offers a discovery call.
How long does therapy take?
It depends on your goals. Some clients come for a few months to work through a specific problem; others stay longer to change lifelong patterns. Private pay therapy has no session caps, so you and your therapist decide the pace.
Is therapy confidential?
Yes. What you share in therapy stays private, with limited exceptions set by Texas law, such as a risk of serious harm to yourself or others, or suspected abuse of a child or vulnerable adult. Your therapist will review these limits with you at the start.
How quickly will I hear back?
Roxanne Watson returns calls and messages within 24 hours. Ellen Lindsey will respond within one business day.
How often are sessions?
Most clients start with weekly sessions and meet less often as things improve. Counselors are flexible with scheduling while always being attentive to best practices, momentum, progress and outcome.
What should I do if I'm in crisis?
The collective doesn't provide emergency or crisis services. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. In Austin, Integral Care's 24/7 helpline is (512) 472-4357.
Cost, insurance and payment
How much does therapy cost at Counseling Austin Collective?
Private pay sessions cost $175 to $200. Roxanne Watson charges $175 for a 50-minute session, and Jill Hokanson charges $200 for a 55-minute session.
What is private pay therapy?
Private pay therapy means you pay your therapist directly instead of billing insurance. It removes the need for a diagnosis on your record, keeps your session notes away from insurers and has no limits on the number or type of sessions.
Can I get reimbursed with out-of-network benefits?
Often, yes. Private pay clients can request a superbill to submit to their insurance for out-of-network reimbursement. Check with your plan about how much it covers.
Do you take insurance?
Yes. Roxanne Watson and Jill Hokanson are in-network with Aetna through Headway. [confirm: Roxanne also takes Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, BCBS of Massachusetts and Cigna.
Why would I choose private pay over insurance?
Three reasons: insurance requires a mental health diagnosis to pay for therapy, insurers can request session notes and audit records, and plans may limit how many sessions you get. Private pay avoids all three.
Can I use my HSA or FSA to pay for therapy?
In most cases, yes. Therapy with a licensed provider usually qualifies as an eligible medical expense. Check with your plan administrator.
Do you have therapists in Austin who accept Aetna?
Yes. Roxanne Watson, LPC, and Jill Hokanson, LCSW-S, are in-network Aetna providers. Headway verifies your benefits and handles billing, so you'll know your copay or deductible before your first session.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Some therapists in the collective hold sliding scale spots based on need.
Will I get a Good Faith Estimate?
Yes. Under the federal No Surprises Act, clients who pay privately or don't use insurance have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs before services begin.
Online therapy and scheduling
Do you offer online therapy?
Yes. Every therapist in the collective offers secure video sessions to clients located anywhere in Texas, plus in-person sessions in Austin.
How do I book an appointment?
Contact the therapist directly through her page on this site. Jill Hokanson's consultations can be booked online; Roxanne Watson and Ellen Lindsey can be reached by phone or contact form.
Can I do online therapy with you if I live outside Texas?
No. Our therapists are licensed in Texas, so you need to be physically located in Texas during each session.
Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?
For most concerns, research shows video therapy works as well as in-person sessions. Some clients prefer the office for the sense of a separate space; others prefer skipping Austin traffic. You can switch between the two.
Grief and loss counseling
Where can I find grief counseling in Austin?
Roxanne Watson, LPC, is a Certified Grief Informed Professional who provides grief counseling in North Austin and online throughout Texas. She has counseled adults since 2010 and served as Clinical Director at Therapy Austin.
Is there a grief support group in Austin?
Yes. Roxanne Watson leads a six-week, in-person grief support group in Austin, meeting weekly from November 10 to December 15, 2026, with a limit of eight participants. Total cost is $360. Register here.
How long does grief last?
There is no set timeline. Grief often softens over time without disappearing. If it stays intense and keeps you from functioning a year or more after a death, a grief counselor can assess for prolonged grief.
What kinds of loss does grief counseling help with?
Roxanne works with death of a loved one, divorce, breakups, infertility and miscarriage, estrangement, aging parents, chronic illness and loss of identity after a diagnosis or becoming a parent.
What's the difference between grief counseling and a grief support group?
Grief counseling is one-on-one work paced to your loss. A grief support group connects you with a small, consistent group of people who are also grieving, which eases the isolation grief often brings. Many people benefit from both.
What is prolonged grief disorder?
Prolonged grief disorder is a diagnosis added to the DSM-5-TR in 2022. For adults, it describes intense longing for or preoccupation with the person who died that lasts at least 12 months and interferes with daily life. Roxanne Watson works with prolonged grief.
What is invisible or disenfranchised grief?
Disenfranchised grief is grief that others don't recognize or support, such as a marriage that ended emotionally before it ended legally, a pregnancy loss, or the life you expected but didn't get. Roxanne Watson's practice focuses on these unacknowledged losses.
Do the five stages of grief really happen in order?
No. The stages are a description of common reactions to receiving a terminal diagnosis; they aren’t a set sequence for anyone grieving. Roxanne Watson draws on newer models, including the Dual Process Model and meaning reconstruction, which see grief as moving back and forth between pain and rebuilding.
When should I see a grief counselor?
When grief makes it hard to work, sleep or connect with people, or when the people around you expect you to be "over it" and you aren't. You don't need to wait until it feels unbearable. Roxanne can help you now.
Couples counseling, anxiety and highly sensitive people
Do you offer couples counseling in Austin?
Yes. Jill Hokanson, LCSW-S, provides couples therapy in Austin and online throughout Texas. Her work centers on the relationship between you and your therapist as the main driver of change.
Do you offer individual therapy for relationship problems?
Yes. If your partner isn't ready for couples work, both Roxanne Watson and Jill Hokanson see individuals who are struggling with partners, family, friends or coworkers.
What is a highly sensitive person?
A highly sensitive person (HSP) processes emotions and their surroundings more deeply than most people. High sensitivity is a trait, not a disorder, but it can raise the risk of anxiety, perfectionism and burnout when it isn't understood. Jill Hokanson shares this identity and is uniquely qualified to provide HSP therapy.
Do you offer therapy for people-pleasers and perfectionists?
Yes. Jill Hokanson treats people-pleasing and perfectionism as survival strategies that once made sense. Therapy focuses on calming the nervous system, reducing self-criticism and setting boundaries.
Can couples counseling help us communicate better?
Yes. Communication problems are one of the most common reasons couples start therapy. Couples counseling helps you notice the patterns that turn conversations into fights and practice new ways of being heard.
What is high-functioning anxiety?
High-functioning anxiety describes people who look successful and organized on the outside while running on worry, overwork and self-criticism. It isn't a formal diagnosis, but it is treatable, and it is one of Jill Hokanson's focus areas.
Can we do couples therapy online?
Yes. Jill Hokanson sees couples by video anywhere in Texas, and each partner can join from a different location if needed.
Do you have a therapist for highly sensitive people in Austin
Yes. Jill Hokanson specializes in therapy for deep feelers. She helps clients separate their own needs from others', manage big emotions and use sensitivity as a strength.
Do you offer therapy for therapists?
Yes. Jill Hokanson works with therapists and other helpers who need a place to handle their own stress, big feelings and old wounds. Roxanne Watson works with therapists as the grapple with various losses.