Julie Tallard Johnson (LCSW)

Hello and welcome! Something in your life brought you here in your search for help. I want you to know that you’ve come to a good place. I know how it takes wisdom and courage to seek out counseling support. I want to help you explore what is possible for you. Each of us can tap into our resilience and creativity even during the most stressful of times. I know too that sometimes we just need someone to talk to, who can listen without judgement. I am here for that. Update on 9/1/2021. Hello. I am updating my profile and mentions of what I consider my skill set. A growing opinion in clinical psychology is that no particular intervention is better than any other, and that the most important predictor of therapeutic success is the quality of the therapeutic relationship. I agree with that predictor. I have found that the best combo within therapy is relational, narrative and somatic. Relational in that the basis of a successful therapeutic experience is dependent on a healthy, skillful and genuine relationship between the client and the therapist. A good match results in good therapy. The therapist must be rooted in principles, boundaries and have a relatable skill set. Compassion and a genuine interest in the client must be the primary motive for the therapist. And the client must feel a genuine connection with the therapist. Narrative in that through the client sharing of their story and experiences and practicing inquiry and attention they can heal and transform painful circumstances and negative habitual patterns. Narrative includes the stories and assumptions we tell ourselves, so those are also part of the inquiry. Somatic means the conversation and work is embodied. That the context always returns to and is understood through one’s physical-emotional experiences. CBT can be a branch of all these, especially when it comes to inquiry practices. Again, all this relies on a genuine and authentic relationship between the client and therapist. A necessary vulnerability and receptivity to oneself and the other. I have been engaging with people as a therapist for 40 years. And I am still as enthused and dedicated to this relationship. I continue to learn through my clients, as well as through attending various trainings and teachings. I am deeply grateful to work with you and believe that the therapeutic relationship can be a life-long benefit. (I always claim that my therapist saved my life. In truth, our relationship gave me the means to save myself). I have recently taken more training in somatic experiencing, awareness and breath practices that help with personal insight and well-being. I look forward to exploring these with you. However, you lead the sessions not me; our conversation and explorations are determined by you and what you are wanting to experience. Here is a little about me and how I would assist you: I have a Masters in Social Work and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, with over 3 decades of working as a therapist both face-to-face and online. My therapeutic style involves helping you to gain personal insight, simple strategies, and tools that you can use immediately to make positive choices and movement in your life. I consider you the captain of the ship, where I am the navigator, so, – you tell me where you want to go and I come up with several ways for you to consider, to get where there. You will always direct the session; I am here to help you discover the best internal and outward route to take to get to where you want. I have also authored several books on living a healthy and fulfilling life, healing from trauma, and cognitive-behavioral approaches to well-being, where I introduce simple tools to living a fulfilling life. Much of my work is about living life from the inside out – and how our emotions, beliefs, past traumas and attitude influence our outward and present day experience. I also use an educational approach with references to other resources that may help you, such as books, movies, on-line resources. We don’t just sit and talk. I love to provide you with simple, usable tools wherever possible that help you between sessions. We can practice these together and then you can see how they may benefit you in your daily life. I rely on these same practices to help me live a fulfilling and healthy life too. I too have relied on therapy, books and mentors to get me through challenging times. Most importantly, we are going to make sure we are making progress on your therapeutic intentions that you have for yourself. In that way, we are in this together. You will experience a true connection to me as your therapist. I am here to guide you, encourage you, possibly even challenge you if I feel you are unknowingly allowing obstacles to stand in your way. Here is a link to my website for more information: https://www.julietallardjohnson.com