Julie is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor and a Registered Art Therapist . She has a dual Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and Art Therapy from Adler University. Since 2009, Julie has provided counseling and art therapy for hospice patients and the bereaved whose grief is due to the loss of a loved one or loss through a long term illness, sudden death, miscarriage or still birth. She has experience working with children, teens and adults with a variety of life and loss issues. Julie provides support for folks with primary and secondary infertility by facilitating a monthly general infertility support group for RESOLVE, the National Infertility Association in addition to individual and couple counseling and art therapy sessions.
She holds professional membership with the Illinois Counseling Association (ICA), American Art Therapy Association (AATA), Illinois Art Therapy Association (IATA), RESOLVE, American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) and National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO).
Julie has presented at a number of associations regarding her experience with grief, loss and art therapy including the Illinois Hospice and Palliative Care Association (ILHPCO) and Greater Illinois Pediatric Palliative Care Coalition (GIPPCC). Julie has also participated as a local panel presenter in Joliet and in Barrington for the Living with Grief series for the Hospice Foundation of America for topics regarding cancer and adolescents. She has shared her experience with various schools and organizations by providing in-service presentations to educate staff and professionals concerning bereavement support and art therapy for specific types of loss.
Julie is passionate about guiding people and families with unexpected changes, losses or events that happen in life. She was a caregiver for her own mother-in-law who died in 2003 from cancer that prompted a career change to counseling psychology and art therapy. Julie has personal experience with infertility and is currently an adoptive and foster parent with her husband. In her down time she enjoys graphic design, acrylic and oil painting, drawing with chalk pastels and various types of natural and found object art.