5 years ago I set out to put myself through therapy to deal with all the overwhelming dysfunction and oddity that made up what is sometimes known as my psyche. Being a bit of an over achiever, i set out to scour the internet for therapists within a 20 mile radius. I cant remember all the sites I used to compile my list but I reviewed at least 100 therapists and narrowed it down to a list of about 20 that seemed worth calling, organized in a spreadsheet by location, price, and specialities.
I then prepared a list of about 20 questions ranging from "do you offer sliding scale" to "what are your religious beliefs and do you incorporate them in to your practice" to "what is your definition of 'mental health'" and called each one up to interrogate them and prove their worthiness for what would likely exceed $10,000 of my money over the coming years.
Suffice to say, most seemed annoyed by my questioning or just didnt seem like the type capable of deep conversation or difficult questioning on the level that I would need to trust allowing to rummage through my brain and tune it up to any meaningful degree.
Until i spoke with Julie that is. Julie was cheerful and kind, and was not only receptive to my questioning but even seemed excited by it.
With everyone else having bombed horribly, i decided to schedule an appointment with Julie and I can say with absolute confidence that it was one of the best decisions i've ever made in my life.
I could go on for pages about just how amazing and helpful Julie has been over the years but i'll try to keep it succinct:
Julie, unlike most therapists out there (particularly those covered by insurance), is not just someone who got their masters right out of school with no life experience and only the ability to refer back to a textbook. She instead spent decades building businesses, herself, and her family, and it absolutely shows.
Just on her office bookshelf alone are well over a hundred books she has read and ingested in to her beliefs and practice, and that is only the beginning of the likely hundreds of other books and media she has absorbed to make her an unbelievably wise and effective therapist. With experience and knowledge in just about any area you could have a problem in (and the intelligence and critical thinking skills to navigate her ways around any she might be lacking) she truly is a master at her craft and worth every cent i've paid and every minute i've spent speaking with her.
In conclusion, if you're looking for a therapist, look no further, because this is the best one you will ever find. No ifs ands or buts about it.
Julie if you ever read this i hope you know just how deep of an impact you have had on my life and how much I owe what I have done and will do to you, your kindness, your creativity, and your wisdom. Thank you for everything. See you on Monday :P read more
