Julie Bivins (she/her)

LCSW
Accepting Clients

I'm an LCSW providing therapy online to individuals who are 18+ residing in Virginia.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Virginia

Services
  • Individual

About My Clients

My specialties are helping people with the psychological impacts of chronic pain and illness, and helping people heal from trauma. I also work with folks struggling with depression, anxiety, mood instability, significant dissociation, ADHD, or increased stress related to work, relationships, life transitions, identity, or issues from childhood.

My Background and Approach

I am a certified EMDR therapist and incorporate elements from other therapies as well, including a Buddhist psychology perspective, parts work, somatic awareness, compassionate and mindfulness-based interventions. The key is to find what works for you specifically within these general practices. I view the therapist-client relationship as a collaboration to find the most effective solutions, which takes trust, practice, trial and error, and creativity. I strive to be aware of my own privileges and biases and how these might affect my work, as I seek to accept people from all walks of life. I aim to listen, to meet you where you are at, to help you deepen your understanding of yourself, to challenge you, collaborate with you on your goals, and give you a place where you feel safe to do the often difficult and vulnerable work that is needed to get there.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

We all have inherent worth, as well as needs for autonomy, authenticity, and connection. It is extremely important that we get curious about ruptures in these areas by using a holistic, or bio-psycho-social-spiritual lens, and recognizing the impact of the systems that we live on ourselves. Western psychology has traditionally been very individual-focused, placing blame on the individual who has a "disorder". While there is absolutely a place for diagnosis, we also need to acknowledge the impact that our environment has had on us to reduce the shame that so many of us carry throughout our lives. I believe that we all have the ability to learn, grow, and change (scientifically it's called neuroplasticity), but how to do that might look very different for each person. Some other things to know about me- I am not religious, though I grew up in a Christian household. Today my spiritual connection comes through nature and music. I also navigate life with the diagnosis of ADHD.

Techniques I Use

Specialties
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Trauma Therapy
Other Techniques
  • Attachment Theory
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Holistic Therapy
  • Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
  • Motivational Interviewing
  • Relational Therapy
  • Somatic Therapy: Body-Based Healing for Emotional Trauma
  • Person-Centered (Rogerian)
  • Trauma Therapy

Issues I Treat

Specialties
Chronic Pain or Illness Dissociative Disorders Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Other Issues
  • Abuse
  • ADHD Therapists
  • Anger Issues
  • Anxiety
  • Attachment
  • Burnout
  • Chronic Pain or Illness
  • Codependency
  • Depression
  • Dissociative Disorders
  • Historical/ Intergenerational Trauma
  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Self-Esteem
  • Sexual Abuse or Assault
  • Systemic Oppression Therapy
  • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
  • Women's Issues
Insurance Plans Accepted
  • Aetna
  • Optum
  • United Healthcare
  • Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield
  • Optima Health Plan
I offer online counseling in the following states:

At A Glance

  • Experience: 9 years of practice
  • Languages: English
  • Rate: $130 - 140/session

Reach out to Julie