Julie is heaven sent! I have been seeing her for a year now, first for prenatal massage and now regularly to keep my body (and mind) healthy/happy :) I couldn't imagine my life without now. She hits all the right spots, she is kind, and she truly understands the body. She is a joy to chat with and cares about her clients. I can't say enough great things about Julie. Book now! read more

My daughter-in-law was visiting, she is 6 months pregnant. I found Julie on Yelp, made an appointment. Megan loved her massage, she had been under some stress at work plus the traveling had her in knots. After an hour of massage, she came out of the office relaxed and happy! read more

AMAZING PRENATAL AND POSTNATAL MASSAGE!!!! I met Julie last year and I'm SO glad I did. Julie is extremely professional, she communicates her policies very well, her locations are VERY clean, the atmosphere is so therapeutic and relaxing. Highly recommend her, look no further! read more

Julie gave me massages throughout my pregnancy and now after. With her experience as a doula, she understands the pregnant body and how to position for optimal comfort. Her massage technique is unique and very relaxing, but still works through problem areas. I go to her Campbell location which is easy to get to, has easy parking, and is quiet and private. Highly recommend! read more

Another reviewer who had a wonderful experience with Julie. She came to our weekend hideaway in La Selva Beach to give massages to my boyfriend and me. We each received 90-minute massages and they were excellent. Absolutely world class. She was punctual, professional, and helped make our weekend truly special. She took time and care to understand our individual needs and preferences, then delivered precisely what was requested. There is no doubt that we will contact her again the next time we are in the area. Highly, highly recommend. read more

Julie is kind and caring. She has to be one of the best if not the best massage therapist I have ever had work done. She immediately makes you feel comfortable and calm. She has the best follow through with her strokes, making you feel like she is always touching your body. She even did my feet which I've noticed a lot of masseuses rush around that area. I don't know what else I can say except she's very intuitive to know which areas to concentrate on. Did I mention she's mobile too! Extra bonus. I will definitely have her come back again and again. Thank you Julie, my sister. She is the answer to my prayers to find someone who loves their job/craft. Now to get her prayers answered to find a place to practice her Watsu. read more

PREGNANT WOMEN LOOK NO FURTHER. The only negative thing I can say about Julie is i'm so sad I didn't start seeing her earlier in my pregnancy. Not only is she the standard of clean, professional and personable, her massages leave me feeling pain free and super nurtured. Personally, she is the only massage therapist who has nailed the pressure the first time. Her oil or lotion that she uses is amazing and doesn't leave a residue or overwhelming smell. No part of my body feels unattended too, regardless of what the issues are we speak about in the beginning. I can't say enough good things, really. I would see her every week if I could! read more

Brilliant massages, gorgeous woman, very flexible on appointments, joy to work with - what more can one ask for?

I started going to Julie for massage in my second trimester as I was dealing with lower hip pain and back muscles ache plus leg issues. Julie listened to my concerns and concentrated on problem areas plus worked on rest of my body. For the first time in my pregnancy my body was relaxed. Since then I have been visiting her every month. Women's body goes through tremendous change and Julie understands that and knows exactly where to focus. She has a very positive and inviting energy and made me feel safe especially when you are vulnerable on the massage table. She has good recommendations for other pregnancy concerns too. She offers many other kinds of massages, check out her website. read more

Julie is an incredible masseuse, who I recently hired for our preschool to treat all the hard working teachers with a private 20 min onsite massage. Every single person had nothing but amazing things to say about their experience. On behalf of the whole crew - we wanted to say Thank you! The process was very straight forward and Julie's services & professionalism were top notch! Highly recommend her to anyone looking for a great experience and feeling super relaxed! Thanks again! read more

Julie is truly magical! She provided four massages for our couples getaway in Aptos. She paid so much attention to each of our needs that we all came away floating and feeling great. Julie was so accommodating and professional that the whole process was seamless. read more

she is absolutely wonderful! Good location and she was attentive to my concerns prior to the massage.

Julie is warm, conscious, and has magic hands that left all of our staff in bliss, after she treated us to mini-massages at our work party. I really appreciated her diligent communication and attentiveness, as she patiently worked with us in organizing the spa evening for 13 of us. I, personally, am somewhat of a newbie to massage - and the few experiences I've had haven't always been the best, as I have a nerve & autoimmune disorder that can leave me hypersensitive. She sensed immediately, during my massage, that she needed to change pressure/technique and what she switched to was h e a v e n. I can't recommend her enough for group events, if you have a need! I, and the rest of my coworkers, absolutely look forward to private services as she not only works in Santa Cruz & Los Gatos, but also does home visits. Thank you for the lovely customer service Julie - as well as your body work skills read more

In May of 2013 my wife & I learned that we would be having our first child. We researched our options as far as hospitals, OB-Gyn, Midwife, etc. We ultimately decided to go with a midwife and would deliver at Los Gatos, El Camino. We learned about doulas--a woman who is trained to assist another woman during childbirth & potentially afterward-- during this process my wife decided that she wanted to hire one; and although I thought I could meet her support-needs, I agreed. We met Julie Lefmann of With My Own Two Hands at a Meet the Doulas event at Harmony Birth Center in Campbell where we interviewed several other candidates in one sitting. We felt an immediate comfort and connection with Julie. We had two prenatal appointments with Julie prior to my wife's delivery. She supported all of our plans for our anticipated delivery method and helped us talk through the questions and doubts we had about the labor and delivery process. When my wife went into labor, we connected with Julie and she came to our home to help my wife through early labor. She then followed us to the hospital and was there during delivery and a couple of hours into recovery. She even took some photos including a video of me passing our newborn to my wife for the first time; capturing these moments was priceless! As first time parents, Julie's support and wisdom really gave us a sense of security and comfort that I don't think we would have felt without her expertise. Although I was honestly initially a bit hesitant to bring someone into this very intimate time of our lives, hiring a doula; particularly Julie; was a great decision. She took time to understand our individual desires and needs. She allowed and assisted me with supporting & comforting my wife during the intense labor process. I never once felt pushed out, but rather felt like I had gained a great teammate for the labor and birthing process. Not every doula is right for every person, but I cannot recommend using a doula for the delivery (especially for the first baby) enough. And, with that in mind, Julie should definitely be at the top of the interview list--she was the perfect fit for my growing family, and I would use her again for our next baby. Incidentally, Julie is very skilled masseuse (services are billed separately from the doula fee) which was wonderful for my wife & me--most expectant fathers can agree that the stress and the "honey-do" chores can leave you quite sore! read more

With My Own Two Hands - Reiki Near Me

We had Julie come to our beach rental in La Selva for a massage, courtesy of my sister in law. Spa day- yay! Julie was great. She spent about three hours giving 20-30 minute massage to myself, several sister in laws , my daughters and nieces. She even did a mini massage for my younger son who wanted to try it. It was so relaxing and we all felt revitalized afterwards. We all agreed, she did a great job. She is a lovely, sweet person who you feel at ease with. Highly recommend Julie! read more

I delivered my first child with Julie Lefmann in Jan 2014 at El Camino Hospital Los Gatos and I was extremely satisfied with the experience. Julie has a warm personality, and at your most vulnerable time, she is definitely someone you can lean on (figuratively and literally). You can tell that she is very experienced and knows her way around a delivery. She was very good at keeping me calm and focused and providing essential pain relief for my unmedicated birth. She also provided support to my husband so we could all work together as a team. I was also really impressed with how she took charge of my labor. She literally ran the show up until I started crowning. She was my advocate during labor which I also really appreciated There were a few times when the nurses asked me questions that I wasn't prepared for and I had difficultly processing. She took charge and suggested answers knowing my overall preferences. This was a huge help to my husband and me because in the moment we were both overwhelmed. If I get pregnant again, Julie would be my first call to make sure I get on the books! Then I would tell my husband. :-) read more

With My Own Two Hands - Julie helping me focus during my greatest time of need... - Reiki Near Me

We started looking for a doula right before we went into our third trimester. We searched online and Julie's name came up in several places with positive ratings, so we reached out and had her come by the house for a meeting. She was exactly what we were looking for with our first child. She has a deep knowledge on the subject of maternity and labor and she was great at sharing her experiences to help inform us on the range of scenarios we may face while attempting a natural birth. We wanted someone who was going to help advocate what we wanted and would point us in the right direction for the unknowns. Before, during, and after our labor - Julie was very attentive and checked-in regularly every couple of weeks. We met for a lunch to go over more strategy and even got an in-house visit to work on the comfort techniques we would use during labor. We loved how involved and dedicated she was in our birth team. She has a very positive attitude and a great humor which was wonderful at easing our nerves. When it came to our labor, she was right there by our sides even though we got started a little after 3 am. She has a very strong coaching style; it has the right balance of support, suggestions, and she knew when to give space as it was needed. Besides having hands that are very adept at delivering comfort, Julie came equip with a wonderful aroma therapy kit and a tens unit. The latter is a little hand-held machine with pads that stimulate your muscles that help ease the intensity of the contractions. We noticed that she was well known and established with the staff at Sutter Maternity Center and that helped when we had special requests or needed some attention as things came up. Bottom line - Julie is one of those genuine human beings that know how to give support in a way that helps build confidence in the birth team. We were able to deliver the most beautiful baby boy and with her help we are very happy with the way he came into the world. We highly recommend Julie. On her prices - they are on the top end of the doula's in the area and this a fair price. You're getting one of the most experienced doulas with almost ten years and over 150 births to date. You get what you pay for and we felt that her performance was priceless. Thanks agains Julie, and we wish you continued success in the future! - Alexi, Jeremy, and Freddie! read more

With My Own Two Hands - Julie is an awesome doula, we were very happy to have her in our birth team - Alexi, Jeremy, and Freddie. - Reiki Near Me

Julie Lefmann has such a soothing, deep but gentle touch. A session with her melts the stress away! I've been so fortunate to experience Watsu and In Home Massage multiple occasions and each time is pure heaven. When I was pregnant I made sure to see Julie very often and loved that she ended the session with a bit of Reiki on my pregnant belly. She is a wonderful person and AMAZING masseuse. read more

Julie provides an excellent massage therapy service. I went to her Los Gatos office on Monday. She is warm and sympathetic while being completely professional. I had a 90 minute Lomi Lomi, Hawaiian style, massage. I have had many massages around the world, her's was one of the best. I am recommending that my wife try the experience. read more

This review is long over due. I am currently 9 months pregnant with my second baby and thanks to Julie I have been feeling great throughout my entire pregnancy. I see her regularly for prenatal massages. I live in San José so we meet at her Los Gatos location. Every massage starts with a mini consultation where she asks me how I've been feeling and if there's any areas I want to focus on. I can tell she has a lot of experience working with pregnant woman and really knows how to make us feel better. I always walk out of there feeling relaxed and renewed. I plan to continue going to her for postnatal and regular massages after I have my baby. She's the best! read more

I feel blessed to have found Julie! I had been seeking a new massage therapist since the schedule of another I really like doesn't work for me. Julie is awesome! She listened to my initial requests and adjusted her technique as the massage progressed. I like fairly firm touch and she did great. She is professional, kind, and intuitive in her approach. Highly recommend! read more

We had a great experience with Julie from the start! After meeting her at a meet-the-doulas event, and being recommended from a friend, we chose Julie to be our birth doula. We connected with her energy and enthusiasm, and valued the tremendous amount of experience she has. Her healing work/massage was an added bonus! My husband and I interviewed a handful of doulas and were unanimous in our decision to work with Julie for our first birth. We took all the prep classes and talked to friends and family leading up to the birth but still felt some anxiety going into it. We both wanted the insurance so to speak of having a doula as part of our support team to assist with the uncertainty of it all. We couldn't have predicted how my birth story would go and are so grateful that Julie was there for us. read more

I'd been looking for a regular massage therapist for a while after someone I'd worked with for 3 years moved away. Julie delivered! I personally feel like you can anticipate the quality of a massage from the first minute or so, and Julie always make me feel immediately grounded and calm when we begin. I enjoy deep tissue massage and she does a wonderful job at working out the tension I have. I book a 90 minute session with her as often as I can! read more

My wife and I came up to SAnta Cruz for the week, staying in a vacation rental, and we have an infant here too. She worked around our schedule to come when the baby was asleep, then came and delivered each of us a thorough massage. She has some excellent techniques and welcomed communication about how much pressure, or the climate of the room, comfort of the table, etc. I usually will have a social conversation with a massage therapist, but Julie urged me to relax and not feel any need to talk, and I have to say that by keeping quiet I got into a deep zone and had time to have personal reflection and pure meditative physical pleasure. She has warm and strong hands and really works each area. I had a couple trouble spots and she made sure to hit each of them with detailed attention. Give her a try! She will not disappoint. read more

At the risk of this secret getting out and her appointment book getting too full, I feel like Julie is deserving of an honest and stellar review. Julie is truly the best massage therapist I've ever seen. When I want to treat myself I call Julie and my family all know what to give me for birthdays/holidays. Julie instantly creates such a relaxing environment whether you're in her spa or in your home. For her in-home sessions, she brings music, the table, warm towels, everything. I've never had a therapist that instinctively knows where you need work like Julie does. I prefer a deep tissue massage in some areas and Julie is always able to deliver in a soothing & restorative way. I've referred countless friends to her and I hope you give her a try. You won't be disappointed! read more

My husband and I met Julie at a Blossom Birth "Meet the Doulas" night, and we were both immediately impressed with her confidence and depth of knowledge. Her warmth and many years of experience helped us feel certain that we had made the right choice when we hired her as our birth doula. (Our dog also really liked her, which we thought was a good sign.) Julie did a great job helping us prepare for the birth through her prenatal visits at our home. Additionally, she recommended some helpful books and an excellent childbirth class, and she was always quick to respond to any questions we sent her. She sent us a sample birth plan, which we found very helpful, and she even made us a personalized CD with songs about parenthood. I also took advantage of a prenatal massage session with Julie (separate from her doula services), which helped me feel more connected to her before the birth. Julie diligently stayed in contact with us starting a couple of weeks before my due date, and she checked in with us frequently after my due date had passed. When she was going to be out of cell phone contact for a couple of hours while she visited one of her other clients, she gave us their home phone number to call just in case. My labor was long, and Julie ended up staying in close contact with us for 2 days leading up to my checking into the hospital. She then spent 18.5 hours with us in labor & delivery, serving as our labor coach and advocate and providing much needed emotional and physical support. When things got difficult, her presence and constant encouragement were instrumental in helping us get though it. As we requested, Julie took pictures of the birth with my camera, and she also gave us a couple of videos she took of us with the baby right after she was born. The photos and videos were very tastefully done, and they captured some memories of the birth that will be nice to look back at. Julie went above and beyond to make sure we were well supported though the whole birth process. This is more than just a job to her. It is absolutely apparent that she loves what she does, and for that reason we would highly recommend her to other expectant parents. She will always be an important part of our memories of our daughter's birth. read more

With My Own Two Hands - Julie says hello to our daughter during her postnatal visit. - Reiki Near Me

I wasn't going to write a Yelp review for Julie at first, because I had already sent her like a 10 page letter, informing her that (and explaining to her, in great detail, why) we did not find her services to be beneficial for us. I had written this letter as amicable as possible, in hopes that she'd receive it as a sort of guide, for things she might consider improving upon, in order to help try to prevent making similar "mistakes" with any future clients, thusly improving the quality of her business over all. I had even mentioned in the letter that I didn't want to leave a bad Yelp review for her, as I was under the impression that our issues (with her performance as a doula) were more isolated from her normal practice, and I wanted to confront her directly about them. But then I was talking to another new(er) mama yesterday, who was telling me about an AMAZING-sounding doula she had worked with, whom had only charged her around $500 (which she admitted was a discount.. saying that her doula usually charges something closer to $800)! When I told my new-mama friend about how we had paid Julie $1,300 (which Julie told us was her best discount), and after I relayed some of the dissatisfying events we had experienced with her during labor and delivery, my friend said she felt sorry for us... since a doula is supposed to help create a more-relaxing and almost "spiritual" environment, for the mama-to-be, during childbirth... and I AGREE!!! This got me to thinking about how upset the whole ordeal with Julie still makes me feel to this day! I decided to check out Yelp to see if there were any bad reviews I might've missed before we hired her, and low and behold, there was one I HAD missed, plus THREE 1-star reviews that have been written SINCE I gave birth back in January of this year (2016)!!! I was a bit shocked when reading the other 1-star reviews on here (*Not to mention that I find Julie's responses to these reviews pretty "interesting"... to say the least. :-/), as there were some definite parallels to the experience my partner and I had had with Julie! ...I even started to tear up a little when I read Diane's story, since I know (after having gone through childbirth now, and after having worked with Julie, myself) what a vulnerable state you are in, during this time, and how you HAVE to trust in your support team around you! If that support is not really present, it can add anxiety (and maybe even some panic) to your plate, which isn't good for anybody! :( I wish I had gone ahead and posted my negative review on here sooner, since I DO think people should have access to as many pros AND CONS about the person they're potentially hiring to play such an important role during this magical time of life! [...Esp. when they are paying so much money for that person!] I also think that if I had posted my review sooner, I might've helped spare some, if not all, of the other 1-star reviewers on here from having the bad experiences they ended up having, as well! As far as our own experiences go, I really don't want to rehash it all out again here, as I've written about it and talked about it so many times, and it kind of makes me feel sick to my stomach at this point, from the stress of remembering it over and over again, without any real recourse or retribution! I will say that I felt as uncomfortable about addressing our issues with/to Julie (both during and after childbirth), as David had talked about in his review... and, Lizzy's review was quite similar to my/our own experience, esp. the unprofessional manner in which Julie behaved in certain moments that also made me want to scream out "STOP TALKING" to her! In fact, I could feel my stress level rising again by just reading the other 1-star reviews! ****I do feel comfortable enough to answer any questions that anyone reading this may have for me, about my/our experience, in more detail, if you'd like to message me here, through Yelp! :) I strongly urge YOU [-the reader of these reviews] to take heed in some of the "warnings" described in the 1-star reviews for Julie! PLEASE DON'T rush your decision on the first doula you interview, like I did, just because you feel like you waited too long in your pregnancy to hire one! Clock ticking or not, you'll want a doula who you feel REALLY comfortable with during L&D... TRUST ME!!! --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *On a side note, I want to thank those reviewers on here, who had the guts to be honest about their bad experiences, right away, as I know how hard it is to be negative about someone who generally seems like a nice person, and whom you had once trusted to be almost "family-like" during such a special, yet vulnerable, time of life as this! ...Y'all inspired me to FINALLY do the same! -Thanks again :-) read more

Diane's review resonates with my family's experience. Great at the initial meetings, unhelpful during labor. Took a sleeping pill after being made aware wife was in labor and did not show up until after being admitted to the hospital despite 4 phone calls asking for help. Really desired the at home help, and didn't get it. Slept like 90% at the hospital and made us feel uncomfortable by complaining to the nurses that there was not better hospitality for doulas. Received a card weeks later stating "sorry I was not the best version of myself that day, I should have sent a back up but didn't want to upset you." It was a difficult pill to swallow to not receive support through this process which was costly in many ways. Yes, this is two years after the fact, and yes I was uncomfortable to say something at the time, as I had enough stress of a one month nicu stay and being a first time parent. I am happy to hear that Julie has received many positive reviews, and hope she has learned from these experiences. read more

I highly recommend Julie Lefmann as a doula. Julie was my doula for my first birth, a home water birth. When I first met her at a doula meet and greet in 2011, I wasn't sure what I was looking for in a doula for my home birth. I gravitated towards her because I instantly felt comfortable with her. I didn't imagine my husband feeling at ease discussing early labor techniques, including nipple stimulation, early labor coitus and the like, but Julie made us both very relaxed. Julie possesses a wealth of expertise, candor and compassion. She is both a sensitive soul and strong advocate keenly in tune to the needs of a laboring mother and all of the members of her support team. She'll sit down and go over your birth plan with your birth team. When I went into active labor, I remember the comfort of her presence and relief with her guidance and prompting when I needed it. My husband was grateful for it as well. For my home birth, she played a big postpartum role as well, having conversations with me about sutures, breastfeeding, sleeping arrangements and encouraged me to use my intuition to help me make a decision that I felt comfortable with. She helped make sure that not only was I taken care of, but that my whole birth team had what they needed. By the time my home birth care givers, including Julie, had left post-birth, my house was clean, I was tucked into bed with baby, all linens were washed and dried, and a pot of hot soup was on the stove. She teamed well with my birth team and she followed up with a number of phone calls after baby. We are, in fact, still in close contact. Julie's presence at my birth helped me feel more supported and empowered in my ability to birth and in the transitions during and after birth, a true gift for a new mom who felt quite anxious and uncertain about many aspects of birth. She is also certified in massage therapy and Watsu (water massage), which was a wonderful bonus. I really enjoyed a prenatal Watsu massage at 8 months (imagine what a relief it is to feel weightless at that stage), and a postpartum massage at home. She didn't even bat an eye when we paused the massage so I could nurse my child. I gifted my hubby an in-home massage with her and he loved it. I would love to have Julie attend the birth of any future children I may have. read more

My sweet sweet husband booked me a prenatal massage with Julie while we were vacationing in Santa Cruz- I loved the experience! It was a fantastic, Soothing massage, Julie was so great to talk to, and very nice and encouraging. The atmosphere at her home for the massage was very relaxing as well. I wished we lived closer to indulge in a couple more before the birth! read more

Julie was great to have in our corner throughout our life-changing process these past months. Before, during and after the birth of our baby boy, she had great suggestions and a helpful manner. Her support in the birthing room was immeasurable as doctor and nurse jargon had us trying to understand so much, all the while our baby was moving down the canal. Julie has visited twice since the birth and is greatly appreciated! Thank you Julie! read more

Julie is a truly excellent bodyworker. I receive massage on a regular basis and have worked with many practitioners over the years, and she ranks at the very top of her profession. Her skill and body knowledge are truly exceptional, and I would highly, highly recommend her for anybody who either has issues with problematic muscle tension or just wants a thoroughly relaxing massage experience. Thank you, Julie. read more

We met Julie when I was about 5 or 6 months pregnant. My husband and I connected with her right away and did not feel the need to interview anyone else. We had two appointments before our due date, to which she filled us with information I hadn't heard of before (and we are second time parents) and went over our birth plan and what we wanted very thoroughly. I went into Harmony for a labor ready massage with Julie on my due date. I drove home and was in active labor about 40 minutes later! We had intended to labor at home as long as possible but I started to transition after about another 30 minutes. Everything happened incredibly fast. We drove to the hospital and Julie met us there moments later. The hospital was completely booked and there was no room for me. The staff at the hospital seemed to lack a sense of urgency as I labored in the hallway while they searched for a room. Julie was very persistent with them and gave me the support they seemed to be lacking. I was grateful she was able to be a voice for us while all of this was happening. We finally got into a delivery room at 9:45 and our daughter was born at 10:06. We had intended to use essential oils, calming music, the whole 9 yards but there wasn't enough time for any of it. My labor from start to finish was 2 hours and 47 minutes. Julie helped as much as she could in that short time and gave me the positive affirmations I needed to push through that incredibly quick and frightening journey. Because everything was so quick, she generously offered a free massage at our postnatal visit which was so thoughtful considering the way my hospital experience unfolded. We love Julie's personality, her professionalism, and her baked goods! We will call her again if we ever decide on a 3rd :) read more

We would have gladly paid double the price to have Julie in our corner. The idea of a doula was foreign to us as I'm sure is with most first pregnancies. Thank god for Julie! After interviewing roughly 5-6 amazing doulas we decided Julie's personality and skills were exactly what we needed. My wife likes to be prepared and I can be a large personality at times. Julie was our perfect balance. She gave my wife an awesome pre-pregnancy massage and it did wonders for her. She did what she said she would do and was there for us during a very long labor and birth of almost 3 days. She had my back when I was about to fall over and took us all the way through an amazing birth and follow up just as promised. A true professional and just what we needed. She also helped set up our placental encapsulation through another well recommended service. Julie we miss you and spread your name whenever we have a chance!!!! Almost forgot she took amazing pictures as well!!! read more

Julie is simply wonderful. I was so lucky I found our about her when I was pregnant! My back and hips hurt a lot during my pregnancy so she have me a massage at home (Palo Alto) every few weeks throughout the pregnancy. She made my body feel so much better. She also really helped when my feet swelled like balloons at the end. Julie is good! I LOVE massages but I am extremely picky about them and don't easily praise masseuse. She has a great touch. One that you feel that she's really present and every stroke is full of intention to make you feel better. She is also a lovely and warm person. Easy and fun to talk with while knowing when you just want to be quiet. My husband and I also did a watsu session with Julie for our anniversary. The pool was in a magical and romantic garden in San Jose. Julie floated my husband while I read a book on the grass. The look on my husband's face after his session was so calm and relaxed. Priceless. Once she starts floating you it's as though all the stress in the world fades away. I wished it would never end. It was so good that we did it again for my birthday. read more

We hired Julie to be our birth doula for our first baby. She met with us twice before my wife went into labor and provided useful information about the stages of labor and what to expect, pointed us towards helpful books, and encouraged us to take a birth class. As a result, we felt as prepared as we could be when she went into labor. During labor, Julie was very helpful and accommodating. She and I traded giving my wife back pressure and lots of support throughout labor, which helped us have the exact birth experience we was hoping for--one without interventions. Julie was 100% present through the whole experience, always encouraging, and flexible enough to accommodate our changing needs while supporting our ultimate goal of a drug-free birth. read more

Julie Lefmann is a concerned doula; her warm heart and loving spirit helped guide the birth of our first son in the spiritual way we had hoped and dreamed. We are eternally grateful that Julie's focus, grit, experience, and love helped to set the stage for the most amazing experience of our lives. While the birth itself was long and intense (38 hours) so much of what makes Julie the consummate doula is her ability to listen; We met three times before the birth to get a sense of each other, and to cultivate an understanding of what we are about to do. It worked. From my perspective as a first-time father, I did not understand why someone would want to hire "a complete stranger" to be at their birth. I mean, the baby is gonna come out regardless, right? But as with so much in life, how you do things is just as important as the outcome itself. I know this most of the time, but it's easy to forget. If I were alone, I could never have marshaled the resources to imbue my son's birth with the level of support, knowledge, comfort, and universal life-force energy that Julie's provided. Perhaps most important to me was that I was able to be in the moment with my beautiful wife and my baby boy moments after delivery. I know in my heart of hearts that our Doula helped to set the stage for what is truly one of life's greatest miracles. She transformed one of the scariest, most powerless and challenging experiences into one of spiritual creativity and sublime understanding of who we are as a family and why we are here on this earth. We would recommend anyone considering having a baby in Santa Cruz to contact Julie Lefmann as an order of paramount spiritual importance. read more

This review is long overdue. I've had many massages from Julie over the years, with the most recent at her Los Gatos location (I live in San Jose). From the very beginning, Julie makes you feel heard and cared for and she truly makes your massage therapy experience special. I really like (and need) deep pressure massages; Julie has strong arms and hands; using her entire body at times, she knows just how much pressure is needed. Julie really knows the body and how to adjust to make you feel your best. She also will check in throughout the massage to see if pressure is right, but still somehow keeps you in the relaxed state. I've had massages at other places and I can honestly say Julie is the best massage practitioner I've ever been to. Julie will give you the BEST MASSAGE of your life. Julie will even come to your house with her table, music, aromatherapy oils; the works! I recently purchased a package of 90 minutes massages and can't wait to schedule my next massage. Not into massage yourself, but want to provide an AMAZING gift for someone? Julie offers gift certificates; so -- BEST GIFT EVER! I've done this for family members (mom & sister) for mothers day/birthday and believe me, they also agreed - best massage they ever had. Julie is a truly special person who loves what she does and loves to help people feel their best - she is a gift. Especially with all the crazy in the world these days; do yourself a favor and call/schedule a relaxing massage; your body and mind will thank you. read more

This is a long overdue review but having a baby and then bringing that newborn baby home to a toddler of 2 years old... will slow down one's ability to get a moment of silence to write a review (or do anything for that matter :)) with that said and this being one of the first times I have had both of my babies asleep for a nap at the SAME TIME.... Julie's review is first and foremost! I have searched high and low for a massage therapist in the Bay Area and have come up short oh so many times. Being pregnant and searching for a skilled, knowledgeable and just plain incredible person is a pretty tall order. I had almost given up entirely during my pregnancy where I was aching day and night with back pain and sciatica when I stumbled upon Julie and I thanked God. Julie is extremely timely and manages her time very well, she sent me reminders for my appointments via text AND email (because let's face it people - PREGNANCY BRAIN does exist). After my first prenatal massage with Julie I was hooked. She has magical hands and when you tell her what's ailing you and what hurts and how it hurts she actually listens and applies the most appropriate pressure to the appropriate little places most massage therapist just glide over. She cares about her clients and she has amazing energy. My little guy ended up being a breech birth which resulted in a cesarean but had things gone differently and had I scheduled with Julie earlier to arrange for a doula - she would have been my number 1 choice. Toward the end of my pregnancy when we realized little man was breech I would see Julie and he would turn during my massage... I saw Julie that night before his birth and I told her of the horrible back pain I was having and the strange and very real contractions and she gave me the best massage I have ever had and told me she thought I was going to have my son within the next 24 hours and I thought... nah... but didn't I go into labor less that 10 hours after my massage (it wasn't a labor ready massage either because he was still breech - I had my cesarean scheduled for the following Saturday and my massage with her was on a Monday evening. There aren't enough ways for me to express how fantastic this woman is but if you are looking for a good massage therapist - this is your gal! Doula? This is your gal! She's awesome! And someday... hopefully... I will get to see her again for a much needed massage :) read more

Julie is an extremely professional and knowledgable doula. We couldn't be happier with our experience with her! This was our second birth, and we had a different doula for our first birth. Julie was highly recommended to us by a friend and co-worker. During our prenatal meetings, she listened carefully to our desires--it was clear that she understood what kind of birth we wanted. Once i was in labor I began to doubt myself and what I wanted--the health care professionals have a way of doing this to you--but once Julie was there with us I felt like I had the strength to say what I wanted because I knew she would support me with the doctors. Her training in massage therapy certainly paid off for me during labor--what a treat it was to have someone rubbing my back and taking pressure off of my spine! I had some back labor and she used techniques that completely eased the pain. Another strength of Julie's was that she advocated for me without me having to ask. She consistently checked in with the health care professionals to ask questions and made sure everything being done to me was explained. After our baby was born there were some minor complications--the baby needed oxygen--and while I was panicking Julie remained calm and got our nurse to explain to me, step by step, what was being done for the baby and why. I can't emphasize enough how important this was to my husband and I in the moment. Once the baby was born, Julie didn't "leave" us--she checked in with us in the following days and weeks, and made me feel like we still mattered to her. I would recommend her to anyone without hesitation, and if we have a third child, we'll definitely be using her services again! read more