Meet Julia

Julia Howard, LCSW, CYT (she/her)

I love for clients to get a sense of me from the moment we first connect. I would describe myself as curious, deeply attuned to others and the world, and loves to have a good laugh. I incorporate humor when appropriate and show up as my authentic self within my role as a therapist. In doing so myself, I try to create an environment that invites clients to show up fully as themselves, too.

I take pride in being a neurodivergent affirming therapist, which means I do not see neurodivergence as something “wrong" or to be “fixed.” I hold space for how your unique brain works, explore strengths and challenges, identify possible supports and systems, and aim to increase self-compassion and acceptance. I also welcome discourse around how various systems and “ism’s” impact all of us, such as capitalism, racism, sexism, ableism, etc. We live in context that is imperative to acknowledge within the therapy space.

I approach therapy with an integration of looking at our past relationships and experiences and connecting how these might show up for us today, with specific tools and modalities for the here and now, as well. In therapy speak, this can be described as having a relational psychodynamic orientation, as well as use of modalities such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Exposure and Response Prevention Therapy (ERP). For couples therapy, I utilize the Gottman Method and principles from EFT. I aim to assess with you directly what might be most useful and am happy to adjust and change directions as needed. I’m also always learning about different approaches and resources and integrate these as beneficial.

Overall, the most important indicator of progress and benefit from therapy is the relationship between client and therapist, which is why I prioritize exploring if we could be a good fit and focus on the growth of our relationship.