Julie believes that one of the most important elements to healing is the development of a safe, trusting and supportive relationship between the therapist and client. She hopes that her clients will experience a true sense of being seen, understood, and will know that they are no longer alone with their experience. It is this part of therapy that is her passion, that she values above all and will continually strive to ensure.
Whether the client is a present day child or someone who has added many years since, Julie recognizes that adverse childhood events and other traumatic life experiences continue to powerfully influence our present day experience. They are often the root cause of our core beliefs about ourselves, how safe we feel in the world and in our relationships. Many of the typical presenting symptoms to therapy related to depression, grief, anxiety and relationship difficulties stem from these underlying memories.
Julie has spent her career gaining expertise in ways to effectively assist clients in this healing.
While talking over concerns together is at the heart, she also has acquired expertise in several other modalities known to support healing. Julie is Certified as an EMDR therapist, a therapy modality which is heavily researched and known to be one of the most effective treatments of trauma available. Julie is a Registered Play Therapist-Supervisor as well, able to work effectively with children who require opportunities to express themselves in ways other than with a strong vocabulary. Clients of all ages can also benefit from Sandplay therapy which is a form of self-expression using symbolic miniatures and the soothing power of sand to visually represent what can be difficult to put into words. In addition, she is trained in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and the Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping).
Julie has 25+ years of experience as the Clinical Director/therapist at a Children’s Advocacy Center and has been with Summit Counseling for the past 5 years. She has served as an Adjunct Professor at ETSU teaching classes in Human Development, Child Psychology and in the Masters level Counseling Program.
Julie is a TN State approved Supervisor for future clinicians seeking licensure as an LPC/MHSP therapist.