Julie Tibbetts
Hi! I’m Julie. I am a licensed professional counselor in South Georgia. I’ve been working with clients for over 20 years to help them cope with life stressors and mental illness. I specialize in substance abuse issues, trauma and anxiety.
My clients usually tell me that my sessions feel like a conversation with a good friend that leads them to clarity, healing and relief.
I truly look forward to helping you find your way to a happier and healthier future!
First session
Ideally, you leave your first session feeling heard, understood and like you've fouund a safe space to express your innermost thoughts. Most importantly, I want you to feel hope. I want you to feel hope that tomorrow will be better than today. I sincerely hope that you feel supported and look forward to our next session.
Strengths
I want to meet you where you are. If you need to talk about what hurts, I can hold space for you and support you through it. If you feel stuck and ready to find out why, let’s explore your experiences and develop strategies to help you feel better immediately. Want to learn some skills for coping with what you’re experiencing? I got you! My clients usually tell me that my sessions feel like a conversation with a good friend that leads them to clarity, healing and relief.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is probably not necessarily someone who is falling apart. It's the spouse, parent or individual who is tired of holding everything together alone. You've spent so much time being strong for everyone else that you lost touch with yourself. You may be the dependable one, the caretaker, the person everyone turns to in crisis... but who is there for you when you're in crisis? You may look like you're managing everything just fine but, inside, you feel exhausted, disconnected, overwhelmed or like you've lost your joy for life. Whether it's addiction, past trauma or overwhelming dread, you just want to feel like getting out of bed in the morning.
Origin story
As a teenager, I struggled with substances and skipping school. A counselor told me that I was way too smart to be doing such dumb things. With her help, I graduated with honors and went on to receive my Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology. Amazing considering. As I never forgot how that one counselor turned my life around, I spend every session trying to help others discover their true potential and find the life they were meant to live.
Ongoing work together
I'll start by identifying the issues you want to work on. Although, I'm known to point out a few you may not have identified or are unwillinng to say outloud. You'll know you're making progress when you feel excited for tomorrow. You look forward to the future. You wake up feeling like you matter, you have purpose and meaningful goals to accomplish!
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Honestly, I use a variety of therapies to help move you from where you are to where you want to be. Cognitive Behavior Therapy helps us identify the faulty beliefs that have been affecting your ability to manage stress and... just life in general. Once we identify where you are struggling, I use a variety of methods and techniques like EMDR, DBT, Motivational Interviewing and Acceptance and Commitment therapy that are specifically tailored to your needs.
EMDR
I offer EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, if you're open that. EMDR is used to reduce symptoms of PTSD and severe anxiety. It uses side-to-side movements to activate your body's natural adaptive information processing system in a safe environment allowing you to simultaneously be present in the moment and to reprocess a distressing experience into a more neutral memory. It's a magical technique!
Location
Virtual sessions