Jill Hasso, LPC

You have been through a lot, and most people in your life may not really know it. You might have parents who divorced, times you were bullied, many moves, or years where you felt invisible at home. Maybe you grew up with a parent who was depressed, anxious, addicted, or often sick. Maybe there was constant criticism, emotional distance, or you felt like you had to walk on eggshells. It could have been sexual assault or harassment, church or spiritual hurt, strict or chaotic parenting, being the one who took care of everyone else, money stress, or just never having anyone who really saw what you were going through. Those things do not just fade with time; they tend to get carried quietly into adulthood.

As an adult, more hard things may have stacked on top of what you were already carrying. You might have gone through divorce or breakups, job loss or burnout, a stressful or toxic workplace, fights or distance with friends or family, fertility struggles, pregnancy or postpartum complications, caring for sick relatives, serious health problems of your own, or losses you never really had space to grieve. For a long time, you may not have had words for any of this. Maybe you never had therapy as a child or young adult, so you just kept pushing through. Now you might notice years of grief, fear, anger, and confusion sitting underneath your anxiety or depression and showing up in your relationships and daily life.

If this sounds like you, you are the kind of person I work with.

Or maybe your struggle looks different. Maybe your mind grabs onto a worry and will not let it go. A thought pops up—“What if I hurt someone?” “What if I missed something important?” “What if I’m a bad person?”—and it feels so real that your stomach drops. You might find yourself checking things over and over, replaying conversations in your head, going back through texts or emails, searching online for answers, praying or “undoing” thoughts in a certain way, counting, or asking people the same questions just to feel okay for a moment. Some of these rituals are things you do on the outside, and some are things you do silently in your mind. On the outside, you probably look responsible and high-functioning. On the inside, you feel trapped in your own head, exhausted by fear and doubt, and frustrated that you cannot “just stop thinking about it.”

If this sounds more like you, you are also the kind of person I work with.

I provide therapy for childhood trauma and complex trauma in Lee’s Summit (our office is in the Bayberry Business Center across from Lee’s Summit High School) and across Missouri. Clients I work with include those who have experienced stress from things like divorce, bullying, parent mental illness, spiritual abuse, and sexual assault. Additionally, I offer PTSD counseling and trauma therapy for adults dealing with past abuse, medical trauma, and other painful life events. In addition, I work with anxiety and depression related to long-term stress, burnout, grief, and life transitions, and I provide OCD treatment using Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for obsessive thoughts, compulsions, and mental rituals that leave you feeling stuck in your head.

My Approach to Therapy

My approach to counseling includes meeting you where you are and using evidence based counseling techniques I’ve invested significant time into learning. This gives you the best chance possible of getting better. Also, my work is always grounded in the belief that meaningful change happens through a genuine therapeutic relationship.

I work to create an environment where clients feel supported, understood, and emotionally safe, while also being thoughtfully challenged when needed. Over time, we explore deeper emotional patterns, internal conflicts, and relational experiences that continue to influence present-day concerns.

Rather than rushing toward quick fixes or surface-level strategies, my approach to therapy allows room for reflection, emotional expression, and understanding to unfold in a way that supports lasting change.

PTSD and trauma

When something life-threatening or deeply unsafe doesn’t fully settle

Some experiences go beyond being stressful or overwhelming. These are moments where you felt truly unsafe—like your life or someone else’s life was at risk, or your physical safety was seriously threatened. This can include things like serious accidents, medical emergencies, physical or sexual assault, or repeated exposure to traumatic situations through work.
Even after the event is over, your mind and body may still react as if the danger hasn’t fully passed. You might notice feeling on edge, having strong emotional or physical reactions, avoiding reminders, or feeling disconnected from yourself or others. It can feel confusing, especially if part of you thinks you should be able to move on.

When these patterns come together in a certain way, they can be part of post-traumatic stress (PTSD). PTSD is not limited to one type of person or experience—it can affect people across many different situations. At the same time, not every difficult experience leads to PTSD, and part of our work is understanding what fits for you.

You may have tried talking about what happened and felt like it only went so far. With trauma, it’s not just about telling the story—it’s also about understanding how the experience shaped the way you see yourself, other people, and the world.

My approach to trauma therapy uses Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which is a structured, short-term treatment for PTSD that is strongly supported by research. Studies have shown that CPT can lead to meaningful reductions in PTSD symptoms, and many people continue to improve even after treatment ends. It has been tested across different types of trauma and different groups of people, and it consistently shows that people feel less stuck, less reactive, and more in control over time.

CPT does not require you to go into every detail of your past or relive everything in an overwhelming way. Instead, we focus on identifying and loosening the patterns of thinking that often form after trauma—beliefs like “I’m not safe,” “I can’t trust anyone,” or “This was my fault.”

We move through this process in a clear, step-by-step way. As these patterns shift, many people notice they feel less stuck, more steady, and better able to move forward. The goal is not to erase what happened, but to help you understand it in a way that no longer defines how you see yourself or how you move through the world.

OCD

Anxiety that feels stuck, repetitive, or hard to turn off
Some people experience anxiety that doesn’t just come and go—it gets stuck. A thought or feeling shows up, anxiety builds, and it can feel like you have to do something to get relief. This might look like checking, avoiding, asking for reassurance, or going over things in your head. It may help for a moment, but the feeling comes back, and the cycle repeats.

Many people don’t realize this pattern has a name. It’s often part of OCD, and it’s more common than most people think. If this is something you’re dealing with, you’re not alone—and there is a clear, effective way to treat it.

You may have even tried therapy before and felt like it didn’t fully help. That can happen when the focus is mainly on talking through thoughts or trying to feel more certain or reassured. With OCD, that approach can sometimes keep the cycle going without meaning to.

My approach focuses on helping you step out of that cycle. I use Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which is the most effective, research-backed treatment for OCD. Studies consistently show that ERP helps reduce symptoms and leads to long-term improvement. It works by slowly helping your brain learn that you don’t need to respond to every anxious thought or feeling in order to be okay.

We take this step by step. We don’t start with the most overwhelming situations. Instead, we build up over time in a way that feels manageable, while still helping you make real progress. As you practice this, the anxiety starts to lose its intensity and control. The goal is not to get rid of anxiety completely, but to help you respond to it differently so it no longer runs your day-to-day life.

Depression & Suicidal Thoughts

Low motivation, low energy, or feeling stuck in a cycle you can’t get out of

Depression doesn’t look the same for everyone. For some people, it can feel hard to get out of bed, shower, brush your teeth, or keep up with basic daily tasks. For others, you may still be going to work or school and getting through your responsibilities, but there’s a sense of disconnect underneath it. Things feel flat, effort feels heavier than it should, and you may find yourself doing the bare minimum just to get through the day.

You might notice your environment starting to reflect how you feel—like a messy apartment, unfinished tasks, or falling behind at work or in school. You may pull back from people, lose interest in things you used to enjoy, or feel like everything takes more effort than it should. In the moment, it can feel easier to stay home, cancel plans, or avoid things altogether. Over time, though, that pattern can make the depression feel stronger and harder to get out of.

Many people don’t realize how much depression is tied to these patterns. It’s not just about how you feel—it’s also about what your day-to-day life starts to look like. You may have tried therapy before that focused mostly on talking through your feelings or understanding where they come from. While that can be helpful, it doesn’t always lead to change in how you feel on a daily basis.
My approach is more structured and focused than general talk therapy. I use elements of Behavioral Activation (BA), which is a highly researched and effective approach for depression. BA works by helping you slowly re-engage with your life in a way that feels realistic and doable. Instead of waiting to feel motivated first, we focus on small, intentional actions that begin to shift your mood over time.

I am currently in the process of completing formal training in Behavioral Activation, with full completion expected in June. Until then, I use elements of this approach in a way that is appropriate and grounded in evidence-based care.
Research shows that Behavioral Activation can be as effective as other leading treatments for depression, including full cognitive therapy and medication in some cases. It has been studied across different levels of depression and is known for being practical, focused, and directly tied to real-life change.

Depression can also include thoughts about death or suicide. For some people, this shows up as passive thoughts, like wishing you weren’t here or feeling tired of everything. For others, these thoughts can feel more intense, frequent, or harder to manage. Both are important, and both deserve support.

Many people worry that if they talk about these thoughts, they will automatically be sent to the hospital. That is not always the case. My first priority is your safety, and I take that seriously. I have experience working with clients across different levels of suicidal thoughts, including building safety plans, assessing risk, and helping determine the right level of care.

We approach this in a thoughtful and collaborative way. I look at the full picture—what the thoughts are like, whether there is a plan or intent, and how safe you feel. In some cases, a higher level of care may be needed, but in many cases, we can continue working together with the right supports in place. Throughout this process, I follow clear ethical and legal guidelines while also making sure you are not facing this alone.

We take this step by step. The goal is not to push you too fast or expect instant motivation, but to help you build momentum in a way that feels manageable. Over time, many people notice more energy, more consistency in their mood, and a stronger sense of connection to their daily life.

Grief

Grief that shows up in expected and unexpected ways

Grief is often connected to the loss of someone important, but it can show up in many different ways. It might be the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship, infertility or pregnancy loss, changes in your health, or the loss of what you thought your life would look like. It can also show up in quieter ways—like changes in roles, identity, routines, or even small shifts that don’t feel the same anymore.

Grief doesn’t follow a clear timeline, and it doesn’t look the same for everyone. You might feel deep sadness, anger, numbness, guilt, or a sense of disconnection. Some days may feel manageable, while others feel heavier without a clear reason. It can also show up alongside anxiety, depression, or a sense of feeling stuck.

Unlike other areas of therapy, grief is not something we try to “fix” or move through as quickly as possible. It deserves space to be understood. At the same time, it can feel overwhelming to carry on your own.

While I don’t use one specific structured approach for grief, this is an area I work with often and understand deeply. My approach is more insight-oriented, focused on helping you make sense of what you’re experiencing. This includes slowing things down, asking deeper questions, and giving you space to talk about what you’ve lost—whether that’s a person, a relationship, a role, or a version of your life.

This is a place where you don’t have to hold everything on your own. We move at your pace, allowing space for the emotions that come up, while also helping you stay connected to your life in a way that feels meaningful and manageable.

The goal is not to “get over” the loss, but to help you carry it in a way that feels more integrated, less overwhelming, and more aligned with how you want to move forward.

Other concerns and my approach

In addition to these, I draw from psychodynamic and person-centered therapy to help you explore patterns in relationships, emotions, and self-worth at a pace that feels safe. I am also pursuing training in the Unified Protocol (UP) for mood and anxiety, so adults without PTSD or OCD can access structured, evidence-based therapy tailored to their concerns.

My style is warm, honest, and down-to-earth. I will not rush you or push you faster than you are ready to go, but I also will not just sit and nod for an hour. The goal is for you to feel understood and to see real changes in how you feel, think, and live.

Why I Became a Therapist

I became a therapist because I experienced therapy firsthand in a way that profoundly changed me.

What helped me heal most was not being rushed toward solutions or given an agenda to follow. It was having the space and time to process my emotions out loud with someone who genuinely cared—someone outside of my life, without expectations or pressure, who listened closely, validated long-held questions, and challenged me emotionally in ways that were necessary and supportive.

Over the span of years, that therapeutic relationship became a steady place where I could bring everything I was carrying. When I was pouring myself out for everyone else, therapy was the place where someone else held space for me. That consistent presence is what allowed deeper, root-level healing to take place.

That experience shaped how I understand therapy and continues to guide how I work with clients today.

Outside the Counseling Office

Outside of the counseling office, I spend time with my spouse and our pug puppy and enjoy traveling, fishing, hiking, and being outdoors whenever possible. I love attending live music concerts, exercising, and watching a wide range of television series.

I’m also someone who genuinely enjoys all things cozy, soft, and warm—quiet evenings, comfortable spaces, and simple routines matter to me. I appreciate both adventure and stillness, and I value creating a life that holds room for exploration, rest, and connection. These rhythms help me stay grounded and show up in therapy as a steady, present, and authentic person.