Julia graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from West Virginia University and worked as a preschool teacher for several years. She earned her master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Antioch New England Graduate School, then established a private practice in Portland, ME. After relocating to Seattle, Julia worked as a family therapist with clients who received services through the Department of Social and Health Services, and later as a case manager with Childhaven.
Julia joined Northwest Center in 2002, first working for Employment Services, then moving to Northwest Center Kids in 2005. Julia completed the Promoting First Relationships (PFR) Train the Trainer program in 2011. PFR was developed at the University of Washington and is designed to help parents and other caregivers of young children the best support for social-emotional development. In 2013, she completed training as a Circle of Security™ Registered Parent Educator. In 2017, she was awarded the WA-AIMH® Endorsement for Culturally Sensitive Relationship-Focused Practice Promoting Infant Mental Health. Julia is recognized as an Infant Family Specialist.