My name is Julie Downs and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Missouri. I earned my Masters Degree from the University of Missouri/Columbia in 2000. I earned my Certification from the University of Indiana in career counseling in 2012. I have worked in various settings over the past 26 years that include outpatient mental health and private practice settings serving children, families, and adults. I have also worked in educational settings from higher education to elementary and secondary education.
My areas of expertise include trauma, depression, anxiety, family conflict, relationships, and parenting. I enjoy working with children, but have also worked with adults, specifically when addressing family needs. I definitely take a holistic and systemic approach when looking at family dynamics, relationships, interactions, and functioning. I look at my relationships with clients as a partnership. I am very resourceful and creative in my approaches so if I do not have the knowledge or information, I will locate it for my clients. I take a non-judgmental stance because I believe diversity is what enriches my life and those around me. I also adhere to my professional code of ethics where taking an unbiased approach is a necessity.
I am extremely energetic and creative in my approach with therapy. I strive to keep my clients engaged providing various options and encouraging them to overcome challenges, fears, or reservations about trying new things. I do regular check-ins to make sure my approach is having a positive impact on my clients' lives and that there is a continuation of progress towards goals. My clients are treated with dignity and respect, but I will be assertive in a respective manner when addressing patterns of behaviors that are impeding progress.
Cognitive behavioral approaches are the foundation of my therapy, but I also use eclectic interventions through trauma, solution focused, and client centered modalities, making adjustments that fit my clients' communication and personality styles and needs. I am also a trained Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapist.
I believe continuity of care and ongoing support is crucial in therapy services and check my messages minimally three times a day. I look forward to working with you and forging a partnership in helping you reach your goals!
Additional areas of focus: Addictions, LGBT, Relationship issues, Grief, Anger management, Self esteem, Career difficulties, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Abandonment, Adoption and Foster Care, Attachment issues, Blended Family Issues, Caregiver issues and stress, Codependency, Commitment Issues, Communication problems, Control issues, Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD), Divorce and separation, Domestic Violence, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Eating and Food-Related Issues, Emptiness, Family Problems, Fatherhood Issues, Forgiveness, Gender Dysphoria, Guilt and shame, Impulsivity, Isolation / loneliness, Life purpose, Midlife crisis, Mood disorders , Panic disorder and panic attacks, Personality Disorders, Postpartum Depression, Post-traumatic stress, Prejudice and Discrimination, Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling), Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-Harm, Self-love, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Sexuality, Social anxiety and phobia, Women's issues, Workplace issues, Young Adult Issues
Clinical approaches: Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy
MO LCSW 2003027949
These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Dr. Julie Downs. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with BetterHelp might be different.
Dr. Downs is an extremely attentive and compassionate therapist. She has a natural and intuitive understanding of how to support me uniquely on any given day. She knows when to adjust the modality planned for an appointment and meet me where I am at, knowing that needs can change quite frequently when you are struggling. I feel extremely confident in Dr. Downs' knowledge and expertise and feel extremely well-supported by all the different types of support and therapy she offers.
Written on Dec 28, 2023 after therapy with Julie for 4 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, addictions, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, self esteem, coping with life changes, compassion fatigue, and adhd
Dr. Downs is the best!
Intuitive, wise, clearly experienced. Very attentive and very supportive of a variety of life’s challenges. Would highly recommend!
Written on Nov 19, 2023 after therapy with Julie for 1 year and 1 month on issues concerning relationship issues, grief, and adhd
I struggled to find a therapist who could accommodate my needs until I came across Dr Julie Downs. I am someone who can't always communicate my issues verbally, when things get too tough I shut down so I was excited to see Betterhelp had a live chat function however many therapists only offered live chat as a starting point. Julie allowed me to progress to video sessions when I was ready and never pushed when I verbally shutdown, she is happy for me to pull back to live chat when I need to and change direction with what we are working on as things come up. She is quick to respond to messages throughout the week and I look forward to our weekly sessions, no matter how hard I know they are going to be.
Written on Dec 08, 2022 after therapy with Julie for 1 year and 5 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, self esteem, and coping with life changes
Dr.Downs is absolutely amazing. She really sees me. She is compassionate and so knowledgeable in the work she does. I feel very supported by her. I am very grateful to her for helping me through some pretty tough transitional periods in my life. I will recommend her to everyone!!
Written on Sep 19, 2022 after therapy with Julie for 1 year and 2 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, lgbt, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy-related issues, sleeping disorders, parenting issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and compassion fatigue
Julie Downs helped me gain the tools and confidence I needed to leave an abusive living-situation, and helped me to use the experience to process buried childhood trauma that had been affecting me daily. I am in a much better place in life thanks to my work with her. She made me feel safe and seen as a transgender non-binary person, and as an autistic person learning to unmask and be myself. I highly recommend her to anyone seeking an empathetic, supportive, open-minded guide. This year has been life-changing and I’m extremely grateful to Julie for our work together.
Written on Jun 05, 2022 after therapy with Julie for 11 months on issues concerning trauma and abuse
Dr. Down's is an amazingly empathetic therapist who brings a wealth of relevant tools. She is personable, accessible, and always one step ahead of me which is invaluable. I look forward to what I will learn with and from her.
Written on Dec 01, 2021 after therapy with Julie for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, lgbt, trauma and abuse, and grief