Julia Bergquist, MSW.
1. What's your practice focus and what kind of clients knock on your door ?
I specialize in working with individuals who identify as female ages 16 and up who experience anxiety, depression, LGBTQAI+ minority stress, grief and loss, substance use, and adjustment to change. I also focus on empowering college age adults and supporting health care providers, teachers, and helping professionals in order to prevent burn-out and foster self-compassion. The clients who walk through my door come from paths of various cultural backgrounds, economic stages, and life transitions.
2. Tell us about yourself.
I was born in Walnut Creek, California, moved to Maine when I was 15, and have had a couple of states and countries in between. I am in this work as an ally to help elicit self-wisdom, promote love, and honor the resiliency that led a client to this point. I am adaptable, holistic, and I genuinely love what I do. I chose this field to be a witness and guide to the profound process of a person reconnecting with themselves and allowing for the reconnection to things that are a part of that self.
3. Tell us the story of a patient who you are most proud of helping.
When I was new to the field working with children and teens, a teen and I were driving in the community along the coast following an intense family meeting. I asked if she wanted to pull over and have a moment on the beach, she agreed, and we walked up to the shoreline. After a few moments I asked if she wanted to throw rocks into the ocean to represent her frustrations. After an eye roll or two, she threw rocks for almost an hour, and we returned to her foster home with a smile on her face.
4. What's one of the hardest things that comes with being a practitioner in private practice?
Balance! You are the sole commodity and the product in private practice, and it is critical to keep up with the "balance board" that is self care to protect your clients, your business, and most of all yourself. I have experienced burn out and I know that putting yourself last never pays off. Part of going into private practice and thriving in it is knowing how much time to spend on practicing with clients, administrative tasks, new client outreach, waitlist management, and continued education.
5. What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a private practice today?\
The top 3 tips I'd give.
- Find your joy. My church is live music- this is how I find safety and connection in my community. It is critical to have access to positive experiences when witnessing systematic, familial, and individual trauma each day.
- Learn. Do. Teach. If we participate in each of these parts of our work we can promote compassion, prevent burn out, and further access the love of this work that brought us to it in the first place.
- Never forget what brought you to this work in the first place.