Dr Hillebrand was raised in Amsterdam and decided that she wanted to become a veterinarian at a young age. She attended veterinary college in Belgium and went into small animal practice in England after graduation.

About four years after being in practice, she developed a chronic debilitating illness that was diagnosed as Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She returned home to the Netherlands and was unable to work for over ten years. In 2012 she was diagnosed with Lyme Disease and was successfully treated through holistic methods.

After discovering the power of holistic medicine and traditional Chinese medicine, she took the IVAS acupuncture course in 2016 and was trained as a human acupuncturist in 2017. She has extensive training in other areas of acupuncture, including food therapy, Dr Tan's Balance Method, scalp acupuncture, and ear acupuncture. She is currently a self-employed acupuncturist, treating both human and animal patients.