Here at be., our clients value our dedication to solid professionalism, commitment to contemporary psychological training, and fidelity to evidence-based interventions. However, we also know that selecting a therapist is about goodness of fit. It really matters. To get some answers to some really important questions, we asked Juli to give us the deets:
- What’s it like to work with you?
- What is a typical session like?
- How can you help me?
What’s it like to work with you?
Authentic, warm, and relatable; this is how others most often describe me. I believe that the most effective way to move toward a more valued life is to simultaneously strive for acceptance and change. Accepting ourselves as is, while committing to important changes that are based on our core values. Without acceptance, there is no lasting change.
If we work together, it is my hope that you will feel my genuine interest, care, and compassion, while simultaneously feeling challenged to experiment with new ways of being; new ways of connecting with and relating to your thoughts, emotions, urges, and sensations. Changing habits of thinking, feeling, and behaving is really hard work; I’m here to partner with you, to help you make effective change, based on evidence-based interventions, and to encourage you as you put one foot in front of the other, in service of living your best life.
What is a typical session like?
Our sessions will be structured - collaboratively - according to your goals and needs. In the beginning, I will spend time listening and learning about your current concerns and needs. Together, we will discuss evidence-based interventions that we can use to assist you in moving toward a more valued life. I will check in with you often, in order to make sure that we are moving in a direction that is meeting your needs and moving you toward what matters most. If you are committed to bringing your lived experience, intuitive wisdom, courage and willingness, I will bring my lived experience and professional expertise. Together, we will be unstoppable.
How can you help me?
People typically arrive at be. when they are suffering. We all experience pain. It’s unavoidable, as long as we are living. We experience physical pain. We fall ill. We endure painful loss. Our expectations are often unmet. Pain. We are motivated to avoid pain. Unfortunately, we often add to our pain experience (unintentionally, of course) through efforts to avoid pain and/or through the “stories” that we tell ourselves about our pain. Suffering. For example, let’s say that I have gained weight, and I’m sad about the changes I’ve noticed in my body and psyche. Pain. And let’s say that the story I’m telling myself is that I’m lazy, unmotivated, and incapable of change. Maybe I even “deserve” my lot. Suffering.
Together, we will work to help you begin to distinguish between inevitable pain and avoidable suffering. We will work to strengthen your mindfulness “muscle,” in order to assist you in becoming more aware of the way in which you relate to your thoughts, emotions, urges, and sensations. I will help you bring awareness to the patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are serving you well, as well as those that are no longer serving you. This kind of practice will allow for the recognition of new choice points - new options - and we will discuss ways in which you can begin to anchor your choices to your core values - to the things that you really want your life to be about. With courage and compassion, you can learn to deepen your connection with yourself and others. If you are like most people I’ve worked with, this is where you will find your joy.
Ready to get to work?
If my approach sounds like one that might be fitting for you, or if you have questions you need answered prior to scheduling an initial appointment, please call or email today. I look forward to hearing from you and learning how I can help.
Now, for the more "traditional" information about Dr. Juli Buchanan:
I frequently use a combination of mindfulness-based interventions, experiential exercises, and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT) to assist clients in moving toward their goals. In addition, I’ve been trained in the delivery of Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I believe that evidence-based therapies are most effective when they are individually tailored and applied flexibly (i.e., evidence-based therapy should feel dynamic and relevant, rather than mechanical and manualized). I pride myself on being comprehensively trained and able to integrate components of one approach with another, when indicated, in order to maximize treatment effectiveness.
I began providing psychological services during my graduate training in 2003 and received my doctorate in Clinical Psychology from Indiana State University in 2008. I hold an active license to practice psychology in the state of Maryland. As a Health Psychologist by training, my practice typically consists of: 1) adults seeking to change their relationship with food, eating, and body image, 2) adults seeking support related to medical diagnosis and/or behavior health change (i.e., cancer, diabetes, cardiac disease), and 3) women seeking support related to menopause. I also have a special interest in working with pregnant and postpartum women and their non-birth partners, as well as couples during pregnancy and during the postpartum period.