Specialty Areas:
- Relationships
- Trauma
- Work/Life Balance
- Self-Esteem & Self-Worth
- Integrative/Holistic Health and Wellbeing
- Stress Management
- Life Transition/Adjustments
Julia Schofield is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and National Certified Counselor (NCC) who earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Law, Crime & Deviance at the University of Toronto and her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at DePaul University. Julia works from an eclectic approach, marrying psychodynamic perspective with DBT, CBT, Narrative and Solution Focused techniques based on her clients’ unique needs. Julia’s background and training includes working at a crisis center, IOP and PHP hospital programs, nursing home, private practice, and non-profit providing counseling services to couples and individuals of all ages.
A true advocate that healing, change, and growth is a holistic process, Julia offers natural options that help alleviate symptoms, promote mental health, and assist the work done in session. She believes that her clients are the experts on themselves and her job is to help her clients discover tools and strengths that already exist, support in letting go of strategies that are no longer beneficial, and aid in developing and practicing new insights and skills. Building comfort and rapport with her clients is her primary goal. As such, Julia strives to create a warm, respectful, supportive, empathic, challenging when needed, and non-judgmental space where clients can freely and openly be themselves.
My early teenage T.V watching is what sparked my interest in psychotherapy. I laughed, cried, reflected, grieved, and grew with characters who came into my life for an hour a week. I found this experience to be an integral and profound component to who I am today, and I wanted to be able to provide a similar experience for others, however, I wasn’t quite sure how to do so. After several years of different occupations and volunteer experiences, I came to find that psychotherapy was the underlying theme of what I was most passionate about and driven to do.
1. What attracted you to being a psychotherapist?
I believe that first and foremost to therapy is rapport. Healing and growth can’t happen if you can’t be your unedited, honest self. As such, I strive to build trust and security in our relationship by being my genuine self, which is empathic, caring, honest but non-judgemental, light-hearted and I don’t shy away from a challenge or homework if/when it’s appropriate and needed. I believe clients are the experts in themselves and I know that therapy can be hard work, timely and even costly, and as such it is my role to effectively and efficiently support you in your journey.
2. How would you describe your approach with your clients?
“Healing is hard, staying wounded is harder” - Unknown
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can” – Arthur Ashe
“One step at a time.” - Every Therapist Ever.
I like each of these quotes because they are all simple, poignant, and true. Sometimes our issues can seem so overwhelming, or the work seems daunting that we don’t know how or where to begin. That’s when we need to take a breath and remember that our healing and growth is so worth it. And with that, start where you are, use what you have, do what you can, one step at a time. You got this.
3. What's your favorite quote about mental health?
The commonality of the human spirit in the midst of the most unique stories is something that truly surprised me. While every client has their own unique background, story, and life experience, I found myself being surprised with how common specific needs and wants are for our lives and relationships.
4. What has surprised you the most about being a psychotherapist?
