Hey! Thanks for being here! If you’re here you’re probably interested in working with me in the future. In that case, at some point in time, I’m going to know all your business. I thought it may be helpful that I share some of mine so it’s less awkward when you tell me all your things. My name is Juliann but my friends, family, and close colleagues call me Julie. I leave it up to you if you want to call me Juliann or Julie. I am a Black American woman with familial roots in the South, primarily Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina. My mom is from Boston and my dad is from the Bronx. I grew up in a small predominately white town in Massachusetts and was almost always the only non-white person in the room. I know first hand what it’s like to feel like you don’t fit in or question whether you belong in the spaces you occupy.

Growing up I struggled to understand my peers as we didn’t have much in common and it seemed like they weren’t really open to getting to know me. I found solace in learning and reading. I’m basically a nerd. This used to bother me growing up but as I got older I really grew into it. As a kid, my mom used to take me to the bookstore for my birthday and I LOVED every minute of it. I’m a student in every sense of the word (hence my choosing a photo of myself from my Master’s graduation shoot (well, actually, it’s one of the few professional pictures I have but it fits so we’re just going to go with it)). Expanding my knowledge, in general, has always fascinated me. I also feel things deeply. Growing up, I always found myself deep in thought, trying to understand myself and those around me, always trying to connect the logical with the emotional. I wanted everything to make some sort of sense. This combination of feeling deeply, loving learning, and not understanding myself emotionally and those around me led me to AP Psychology in high school. I was determined to make my reality make sense to me. Ultimately, I was seeking clarity. Through my years of studying psychology and mental health, and journeying inward, I found so much more than clarity. I found peace. I found understanding and compassion for myself and those around me. Things finally started to make sense for me. My naturally inquisitive nature has helped me to get to where I am today and aids me in helping my clients gain the clarity that they seek.

Overall holistic health and wellness are of the utmost importance to me. Outside of my professional work, I am an uncommitted fitness and yoga junkie (meaning sometimes I’m super committed to my workouts, other times, my gym gear is collecting dust in the back of the closet), a foodie, a nature lover, spiritualist (intuitive card reader and crystal lover), tea drinker, and cat mom. I enjoy spending time and pouring into things and people I care deeply for.

Education, Credentials, Additional Experience.

I earned my bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in sociology from St. John’s University and my master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Fordham University. I have experience providing individual, family, and couples counseling services in a variety of settings including higher education settings, in-home services, and community-based clinics. I am currently a Doctoral Candidate in the Mental Health Counseling doctoral program (PhD) at Pace University. In addition to my doctoral studies and private practice work, I am an adjunct psychology instructor at Pace University. I currently teach undergraduate Adolescent Psychology. I recently assisted on a COVID-19 related research project exploring the pandemic’s impact on African Americans with Dr. Scyatta Wallace-Hannah’s Janisaw Co. as well. My full resume can be viewed here.