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Julie Anderson

Julie Anderson

 

Welcome.  I’m glad you landed here.  I know you’re wondering if maybe, just maybe, there’s help available to make life feel a little (or even a lot) easier.

 

Did you search “autism”, “ASD,” “Spectrum”, “ADHD,”  or something similar to find us?  As the parent of neurodiverse 16-year-old boy/girl twins, let me tell you I know how that feels.

 

I can assure you, there is hope.  You have it within yourself to meet the challenges that you face.  And there is help here, either with me or one of my colleagues. 

 

You’ve made that important first step – you’ve Googled and scrolled the web and found us: a practice that cares deeply about the unique difficulties that sometimes make you feel alone.  You are not alone.

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Neurodiversity

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“I know of nobody who is purely autistic or purely neurotypical. Even God had some autistic moments, which is why the planets all spin”

– Jerry Newport. Your Life is Not a Label

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Diversity is the one thing we all have in common, and neurodiversity is part of what makes the mosaic of humanity so rich. 

 

If you used neurodiversity terms to find us, you already know that what makes us unique can drive attraction and connection, but can also contribute to misunderstanding and confusion. 

 

Our goal is NOT to help the neurodiverse “fit into” the neurotypical world.  While a square peg can probably be forced into a round hole, that might only work by damaging or changing the peg. Instead, we seek to build upon the strengths and strategies that each person brings when creating attachments with those around them.

 

We honor each person’s uniqueness by creating a respectful, nonjudgmental space that will allow a safe place for growth and connection to flourish, both inside and outside the therapeutic experience. 

 

Neurodiverse Couples

 

Closeness and intimacy are integral to a healthy relationship.  Life’s demands can take their toll on how a couple connects physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.  Any couple may start to feel disconnected in some or all of these areas leading to feelings of loneliness and isolation. 

 

For individuals who differ in their neurodiversity, this difference may require more focused attention to build and maintain intimacy. Showing up for each other means honoring each partner’s strengths and needs.  In therapy, we will identify goals and patterns of interaction and work collaboratively to create new communication patterns that grow from a place of open-heartedness and connection.

 

Neurodivergent Parenting

 

For a moment imagine what it is like for a child to have one adult after another bending down and speaking to them with impatience, frustration, and annoyance in their faces and voices.  Imagine how overwhelming this is for a child who already experiences heightened sensory and emotional sensitivity. 

 

Bridging the generation gap can be challenging for parents and children whose brains work in similar ways, it can be even more tricky when it feels like you are speaking different languages through the filter of neurodiversity.  We are a team supporting your needs and concerns as a parent while honoring your child’s singular experience. 

 

 

Other areas

 

Infertility, ART, and Post-partum depression

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Nothing is more natural than having a child, except when it isn’t. Julie understands when the journey to parenthood does not go as anticipated. From fertility treatments to childbirth to post-partum depression, things have a way of defying best-laid plans. The process of becoming parents and the feelings around parenthood can be complicated and have a profound impact on your intimate relationships.

 

Sandwich Generation

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You are in the Sandwich Generation if you are caring for both children and aging parents.  Squeezed in the middle, are you juggling the delicate and demanding tasks of caring for everyone but yourself?  Is it any surprise your relationship is also suffering?  Julie is particularly versed in supporting clients who have become caregivers for parents or spouses experiencing dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease.

 

Co-parenting

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Sharing a parenting relationship is among the most enduring experiences in life. Even after the dissolution of a marriage, connection through children remains. When one co-parent is neurodivergent there may be additional communication and executive function challenges that further complicate this delicate relationship.  

 

Creatives and Highly Sensitive Individuals

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Before making this career transition Julie worked for decades in the arts.  In her current practice, Julie specializes in working with writers, actors, musicians, and other individuals who identify as “highly sensitive.”

 

 

About Julie

 

I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist in Santa Monica, California. Born and raised in the Midwest, I lived in New York City for 20 years. Before becoming a therapist, I was a freelance writer and worked in film, theatre, and nonprofit arts and education.   I am the parent of a couple of 16-year old neurodiverse comedians. Long interested in people who “see differently,” I wrote a children’s book about color blindness, Erik the Red Sees Green.

 

The first person in my family to go to college, I received a B.A. from Johns Hopkins University, then New York University, leaving a Ph.D. program at NYU to start working in the arts. I graduated summa cum laude with an M.A. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Touro University Worldwide and am currently enrolled in a Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D) program at California Southern University concentrating on counseling and neurodiversity.

 

 

Other areas of focus (in addition to Neurodiversity):

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  • Affair Recovery

  • Ambiguous Grief

  • Caregiver Support

  • Co-Parenting

  • Couples Counseling

  • Creative Support

  • Divorce Recovery

  • Infertility

  • Kink-Aware

  • LGBTQIA+ Allied

  • Life Transitions

  • Parent Coaching

  • Poly Friendly

  • Sex Therapy​

  • Sex Positive

  

Modalities:
 

  • Coaching

  • Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)

  • Existential Therapy

  • Experiential Therapy

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

  • Narrative Therapy

  • Polyvagal Theory

  • Psychodynamic

  • Trauma-Informed Therapy​

 

Clients
 

  • Couples

  • Individuals

  • Families

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License

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Registered Associate, MFTA #136580

Supervised by Dr. Harry Motro, LMFT #53452

Employed by New Path Couples Therapy Inc.

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Contact

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Phone:  (424) 645-1616

Email:  julieandersonmft@gmail.com

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