About Me
History and Education
I did not start out as a counselor. I got my bachelor's degree in theatre and became a director in New York City for several years before moving to Austin in 2003. As most people in the theatre do, I had lots and lots of odd jobs to help me make ends meet from waitressing to fixing cars. When I left New York, I did not know what I wanted to do with my life career wise and was feeling just as lost personally. Like many people, I was curious about therapy but didn't think that it would be helpful for me. Eventually (mostly out of desperation) I gave therapy a try and I was shocked to find that I got better. It was through my own experience with counseling that I became a believer in the process and decided to pursue it as a career. I received my Master's in Counseling from St. Edward's University with a dual emphasis in licensed professional counseling and marriage and family therapy. There I met Sunny Lansdale, PhD, who has been my mentor for six years and much of my developmental perspective and interest in attachment relationships was born with her. Since then, I have completed my training in EMDR and this year will complete the 3 year training in Somatic Experiencing. I have also completed a two post graduate training program for integrative marriage and family therapy with Carol Middelberg, PhD. I am a member of EMDRIA (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing International Association), SETI (Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute) and AAMFT (American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists). You can find out more about these associations by visiting their websites:
EMDRIA: www.emdria.org
SETI: www.traumahealing.com
AAMFT: www.aamft.org
An Interview with Juliane
What is therapy?I think psychotherapy is difficult to define because there are so many different ways of doing it. For me, therapy is about having a space that is safe and a relationship with someone who you can be authentic and honest with so that you can have the feedback that can help you accomplish your goals. For some people therapy is about exploration and growth, for others it's about repairing a relationship with a loved one, others have been through some trauma or crisis that they are having trouble dealing with on their own and they need some help. Sometime people are looking for change, but more often people are looking for help to deal with changes that have been forced upon them. I do traditional talk therapy and I also do traditional couples therapy, with both partners in the therapy room at once. I also do EMDR and Somatic Experiencing, which are trauma techniques meant to aide the healing process in the body as well as the mind.
What is it like to be in therapy?
When I work, I like to start by just sitting with a person or couple and listen to them to see what it is they've come in to get help with. So it's often a lot of talking. Sometimes it's a lot of talking and other times it's quiet. There's a lot of research that's been coming out recently about right brain processing, about how important it is to help you really integrate what you're feeling and thinking and that this process must happen in silence. Because I work holistically, that is with the awareness that your mind, emotions and body can't actually be separated, I often talk to people about what sensations are coming up for them in sessions in addition to talking about what you are feeling and thinking. Most importantly, I like to do therapy gently so that it is non-threatening while at the same time keeping your goals in mind so that you are being challenged in a way that supports your growth.
Why should I see a therapist?
I actually don't think that therapy is for everybody at every time in their life. But I do think that most people who want to commit the resources, that is the time, energy and money, to their own growth and healing get a lot out of going to therapy. Just like everyone benefits from exercise, not everybody likes or can even do the same kind. I think that it's important that you find the right therapist for you.
How do I find a good therapist?
With therapists there are lots of good ones- the real question is "how do I find the right therapist for me?". I would recommend calling around and talking to 2 or 3 before you make your decision. Most therapist's offer free phone consultations. Usually those last anywhere from 10 to 20 minutes. Some offer free face to face meetings the first time, I do that and they are 30 minutes in length. Ask a lot of questions. It helps to remember that you are hiring the therapist, not the other way around. Which questions to ask really depends on why you're interested in therapy but some beginning ideas would be questions like: "what kind of therapy do you practice?" and "how much experience do you have with (insert whatever you're seeking therapy for)?". Pay attention to how you feel emotionally and in your body when you're talking with the therapist, that can often be a big clue as to how well you'll work together.
How does therapy work?
There have been years of research devoted to this question and we don't have any concrete answers yet. What we do know is that the quality of the relationship between the therapist and client has consistently been shown to influence the outcomes of therapy most. The research about different kinds of therapy techniques is vast and inconclusive for the most part. Having said that there has been some research in the last few years that points to better results with some techniques over others. that's why I use some of the techniques that I do, Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, EMDR, and Somatic Experiencing all have excellent efficacy rates. Still, most research points back to the original finding, so when looking for a therapist, its most important to find someone with whom you feel like you'll develop a good rapport.
Why do you want to work with trauma?
A lot of people ask me that. First, I think it's important to define trauma, because it has been stigmatized in our culture. There are different kinds of trauma, single event (like a car wreck), multiple event or complex trauma (like a person who has had several
car accidents or was physically or sexually abused multiple times and/or by multiple perpetrators), or developmental trauma (like a person who had several seemingly small hurts emotionally from his parents but it adds up to a great big hurt). One trauma is no worse than any other and it is normal for people to not deal with it well on their own. Trauma does not heal with time and it often takes more than straight forward "talk therapy" to move past it. The research in this part of our field is exploding right now and there are several new techniques that are proving to be very effective and very gentle. To get back to the original question though: I work with trauma because I think that everyone goes through trauma at some point in their lives and that this often holds them back from reaching their full potential. There are really effective treatments now that harness the body's natural inclination to heal and to be able to use those tools to facilitate healing...to help people find the real gems that have been inside them all along and let them shine is possible. Being able to assist in that natural journey of healing is one of the most humbling and touching experiences I can imagine. I enjoy being with people as they discover a potential that was in them all along to which they now have access.
Why do you want to work with couples?
I work with couples because I enjoy the challenge and because I like helping others figure out the best way to have their relationship. I believe there are too many divorces in our culture right now and I believe that many of them are unnecessary. Many couples are getting triggered by old stuff from their families or old stuff from within the relationship and, often, its hard to break out of that pattern on your own. I enjoy helping couples come together and rediscover their tenderness and passion for each other. I also like working with sexual issues because they are often ignored in couples work but are frequently a great cause for concern. As a sex positive therapist I offer a non-judgmental, welcoming environment in which to discuss these sensitive issues. If we can start talking about it we can start healing it.