Bennett Gildea - Luminary Counseling

Bennett Gildea (She/They)

M.Ed., LPC-Associate

Hi! I’m Bennett.

At Luminary Counseling, I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate under the supervision of Jennifer Buffalo, LPC-S, LMFT-S. Using an integrative, person-centered approach, I draw from Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, emotion-focused work, etc.

Who I Serve:
I support adolescents, emerging adults, and adults navigating major life transitions and change. I am particularly passionate about working with individuals where these transitions intersect with:
Anxiety and stress management
Neurodiversity (including Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) and ADHD)
Chronic illness (including Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) and Ehlers-Danlos Syndromes (EDS))
LGBTQ+ experiences
Reproductive and women’s health concerns (including perinatal, postpartum, PMDD, and PMOS (formerly PCOS))

My therapeutic practice is sex-positive, kink-affirming, and an ally to body neutrality. I warmly welcome clients of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and relationship structures.
I don’t believe therapy is a race. Growth and healing happen at different speeds for different people. My role isn’t to walk ahead of you or pull you to some imaginary finish line. It’s to walk beside you as we navigate your struggles together. I strive to create a space where you don’t feel like you have to have all the answers, or present as anything other than your authentic self.

I also believe there is room for humor in therapy. Sometimes laughter is how we process something difficult, find a bit of relief, or simply remind ourselves that we are still human in the middle of a hard season. Therapy doesn’t have to be serious every moment to be meaningful, and humor has a place in the room just as much as any other kind of conversation.

Whether you’re trying to process something for the first time, navigating a major life transition, or feeling like the weight of what you’ve been holding has become too heavy to carry on your own, we’ll work together to make sense of it all. You don’t have to show up with everything figured out. You just have to show up as yourself.

*Please note: Bennett’s legal name is Baylee Gildea: Texas BHEC license #101967*

Specializations

Autism Spectrum Disorders
Life Transitions and Adjustments
Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
Women's Issues

Populations of Interest

Adults
LGBTQ+ Individuals
Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders
Individuals with Chronic Illnesses
Individuals with Self-Esteem Issues
Individuals with Body Image Concerns
Individuals with Bereavement or Grief

Fees

$90-$125 per 50 minute individual counseling session

Deeper sliding scale available. Please reach out for more information.

Parent conferences may be needed when a client is a minor. These are billed at the same rate as an individual counseling session

Delivery Method of Services and Languages Spoken

Telehealth- English

Favorite Quote, Movie, Book, or TV Show

Favorite Quote: “I started allowing the pain of the doubting to stand near the songs of ascent.” – The Figs
Favorite Movies: Good Will Hunting, Pride & Prejudice, John Wick, Coraline
Favorite Book: Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Favorite TV Shows: House MD, Psych, Criminal Minds

Personal Identities

Queer
Neurodivergent
Non-Religious
Living with chronic illness

Educational and Work Background

I hold a B.A. in psychology from the University of Cincinnati and a M.Ed. in mental health counseling (with a concentration in child and adolescent mental health) from Boston University.

Prior to becoming a therapist I worked in bakeries, art stores, as a nanny, and as a summer camp counselor. I’m grateful for the variety of experiences I have had because they’ve shown me how to connect with people and bring creativity into any space I enter.

While earning my bachelor’s degree, I worked as an ABA therapist and held a Registered Behavior Technician (RBT) certification. During graduate school, I worked as a preschool teacher and completed my clinical internship at a partial hospitalization program (PHP) for children and adolescents. Those experiences have given me the opportunity to work with people across different ages, backgrounds, and levels of need. I enter sessions with curiosity because if I’ve learned anything it’s that no two stories are ever exactly alike no matter how they appear.

Hobbies or Personal Interests

I create intricate nail art, write poetry, read memoirs and true crime novels, bake funky recipes I see on pinterest, arrange floral designs, thrift, try new restaurants, exercise, sketch fashion designs and try out new style ideas, go to the movie theater when a new horror film comes out (and so I can get an ICEE), etc.

Why Did you Become a Therapist?

I genuinely enjoy understanding people and helping them be curious about themselves. I believe everyone deserves a safe person who they can express vulnerability to and be completely authentic with. I am honored that I get to be that person for those around me.
I also empathize deeply with the position many of my clients find themselves in because I have been there myself. I know what it feels like to hold onto what I think of as “squeaky hope,” that sometimes fragile feeling that things can get better even when it’s difficult to believe it. I’ve experienced the ebbs and flows of how loud that squeak can be, and I know how difficult it can be to navigate a world where there is still so much misunderstanding surrounding both mental and physical health, whether in everyday life or within medical settings. I want to help minimize that gap in understanding for my clients by offering a space where they feel heard, understood, and taken seriously.
Ultimately, I became a therapist because I want people to feel less alone in figuring themselves out and navigating the complicated parts of being human.