Jennifer Williams Buffalo - Luminary Counseling

Jennifer Williams Buffalo (She/Her)

MA, LPC-S, LMFT-S
EMDR Certified
EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training

Hi, I’m Jennifer Williams Buffalo (she/her), a licensed professional counselor and licensed marriage and family therapist — but more importantly, someone who’s passionate about helping people find healing, connection, and a deeper sense of self. I’m the owner and founder of Luminary Counseling, PLLC, where our team creates a warm, affirming space for folks working through trauma, grief and loss, identity exploration, and relationship challenges. We’re proud to be known in Austin as both a supportive practice for clients and a sought-after training home for LPC and LMFT Associates.

My journey into counseling started at the University of Texas at Austin, where I earned my Bachelor’s in Psychology with a Sociology minor and focused on pre-law studies. That led me to pursue an Advanced Conflict Resolution certificate at St. Edward’s University, where I fell in love with mediation and the idea that resolution doesn’t have to mean “someone loses.” From there, my path to becoming a therapist felt like the natural next step. I earned my Master’s in Counseling from St. Edward’s in 2010 and became licensed as a professional counselor in 2013, then as a marriage and family therapist in 2015.

For over 15 years, I’ve been helping individuals and couples navigate life’s challenges using an integrative, relational, research-based approach. As a certified EMDR practitioner, I’ve seen how powerful it can be to address trauma — not just as something that happened to us, but as something that shapes how we see ourselves and relate to others. My clients often come to me after doing some personal work already, but I also love helping anyone who’s just beginning to explore what healing might look like.

At the heart of it, my work is about connection — helping people understand themselves, each other, and what it truly means to live authentically. And while I take therapy seriously, I believe there’s always room for humor, humanity, and lightness along the way.

Specializations

Attachment Wounds
Burn Out
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
IFS (Internal Family Systems) / Parts Work
LGBTQ+ Counseling
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Relationship Issues
Trauma, PTSD & CPTSD
Vicarious Trauma

Populations of Interest

Bipoc & multicultural populations
C-Level Executives
Couples/relationship
Helping Professionals (Therapists, Counselors, Social Workers, Nurses, Teachers, etc)
Highly Sensitive People (HSPs)
LGBTQ+ Individuals
Medical Professionals (Doctors, Physician Assistants, Nurses, Midwives, etc)
Men
Diverse Relationship Structures (ex: Polyamory or ethical non-monogamy)
Individuals with Identity Issues (e.g., racial, ethnic, religious, sexual)

Fees

$250 for 45-55 minute individual session
$300 for 55 minute relationship counseling session

Delivery Method of Services and Languages Spoken

Telehealth in English

Personal Identities

I am a queer cis-female who has experienced my own struggles with things like chronic illness, burnout, trauma, depression, and anxiety. I am a therapist who attends my own therapy. What this means is that I understand what it is like to sit in the client’s chair and the vulnerability it takes to build a connection with a professional. I honor the courage it takes sometimes to just show up.

Educational and Work Background

I have worked for as long as I can remember and always had an entrepreneurial spirit. In fact, I started my first business making and selling custom jewelry when I was just in high school. Throughout my young life, I worked as a swim instructor, camp counselor, and tutor. Later, I worked in the service industry to put myself through college and graduate school, and then I worked in the non-profit sector for almost a decade. I founded Luminary Counseling in 2011 to provide high-quality mental health counseling and training to marginalized people seeking a different experience.

Hobbies or Personal Interests

I enjoy traveling and seeing the world outside the cities and states where I grew up. I have traveled through over 40 countries and 5 continents. My favorite countries to visit are Spain, Mexico, and Germany. In addition to traveling, you can find me in my garden, hiking, cooking, or hanging out with my life partner and my dogs: Klaus, Pepperoni, George, and Baxter.

Why Did you Become a Therapist?

I became a therapist to support and advocate for marginalized people who are healing from traumatic experiences. In my life, I have experienced trauma in the form of discrimination, inequity, and bullying. I have worked in spaces where abuses of power were common in the leadership, and marginalized people were further ostracized and discriminated against. Throughout my healing journey, I received therapy that was not affirming of my queer identity. I desire to provide a corrective experience for people who have been mistreated, abused, or unseen in their lives and support them in living in a more meaningful and connected way.