About Julie
Julie Ekman is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 29 years of experience providing mental health support in Illinois. She blends a holistic, client-centered stance with strengths-based, solution-focused, and cognitive behavioral techniques to create practical, individualized plans.
Background and approach
Her background includes long-term roles as a family therapist and as a school social worker, where she spent 26 years working primarily with middle school settings, informing a pragmatic and developmentally aware approach to care. Julie focuses on common life challenges such as stress, anxiety, family conflict, self-esteem and confidence, career-related concerns, and coping with major life changes.
She also addresses related issues including chronic pain, illness and disability, communication problems, control issues, divorce and separation, forgiveness, guilt and shame, isolation and loneliness, life purpose and midlife transition, panic attacks, social anxiety and women’s issues. Julie emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while collaborating with clients to identify goals and build skills for lasting change.
Evidence-Informed Approaches Delivered Online
Julie draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to help clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical coping skills for anxiety, panic, stress, and mood challenges. She also integrates strengths-based and solution-focused strategies that highlight client resources and set clear, achievable goals to address family conflict, career concerns, and life transitions.
Finding the right approach is collaborative. Julie works with each person to determine which techniques fit their needs and preferences, adjusting methods over time based on how goals and comfort evolve. This collaborative process helps ensure the plan feels relevant and workable for the client's life.
Online therapy with Julie is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to increase accessibility and scheduling flexibility. These options allow clients to engage in skill practice, problem solving, and reflective work from locations that suit them while maintaining continuity of care across busy schedules.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Julie commonly address?
What is her therapeutic approach and style?
What is her professional background and experience?
What are Julie's credentials and where is she licensed?
Which languages are available for sessions and are international clients accepted?
What session formats does she provide for online work?
How is cost handled for therapy with Julie?
How does someone begin working with her?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
Also works with
- Career difficulties
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Divorce and separation
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Experience
- 29 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English