Julie Naquin, LCSW
I believe therapy is most effective when it feels like a genuine partnership, one built on trust, curiosity, and a deep respect for your unique experiences. My goal is to create a grounded, supportive space where you can explore challenges openly, gain insight into yourself, and move toward meaningful change at your own pace. I was drawn to this work through both my professional experience as a foster care social worker and my personal experience as an adoptee, which gave me an early appreciation for the ways identity, belonging, relationships, and life experiences shape who we are. These experiences have fueled my passion for helping people navigate transitions, understand their stories, and build lives that feel authentic and fulfilling. I am especially passionate about working with young adults, adoptees, and individuals whose lives have been impacted by foster care, attachment experiences, trauma, or significant life changes.
My Therapeutic Approach
1. Theoretical Orientation
My work is grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and values-based approaches, helping clients clarify what matters most to them and take meaningful action aligned with those values. I also incorporate Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to explore the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and to build practical coping strategies. In addition, I draw from Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to support skills in emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, especially during times of heightened stress or transition.
2. Therapy Style
I show up in the therapy room as warm, collaborative, and engaged, working alongside clients rather than taking a distant or overly directive stance. My style is insight-oriented, helping clients make sense of patterns, experiences, and emotions in a way that deepens self-understanding. At the same time, I balance reflection with practical support, so insights can be translated into meaningful change in daily life.
3. Change Process
Change in my work often begins with identifying unhelpful patterns in thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and understanding how they developed and are currently being maintained. From there, I support clients in building insight into their internal experiences while also developing practical skills to respond differently in challenging situations. Over time, this combination of insight and skill-building helps create more flexibility, stability, and meaningful behavioral change.
4. Techniques & Modalities
I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) interventions to help clients identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, and from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to support mindfulness and values-based action. I also incorporate Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills, including emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Clinical Focus:
I work with adults across the lifespan who are navigating a wide range of life transitions, emotional challenges, and relational concerns. My clinical focus includes individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, identity development concerns, and difficulties related to attachment and early relational experiences.
People are not problems to be solved, they are mysteries to be explored.
Education and Training
- Education
- Master of Social Work, George Mason University
- Bachelor of Science, Criminal Justice, UVA WIse
- Training
- The National Adoption Competency Mental Health Training (NTI)
Availability:
I currently offer availability during weekday mornings, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Outside the Office:
I have a sweet senior pug who keeps life grounded and entertaining, and I am a co-parent to a 6-year-old son who brings a lot of joy and perspective to my life. In my free time, I also enjoy playing tennis, which helps me stay active and unwind.