Julie Weiner, IMFT
Pronouns: She/Her
Licensed Independent Marriage & Family Therapist
I help people make meaning out of challenging experiences. My clients identify as overthinkers, peace-keepers, the logical, reliable problem solvers who see the crisis before it comes and shepherd everyone to the other side. These roles, often heirlooms from childhood, once provided safety and a sense of control. But while others see competence and reliability, these clients are exhausted by self-doubt and carrying other peoples’ emotions.
We’ll work together to build context, clarity, and compassion for yourself and the burdens you carry. You’ll walk away with a better understanding of yourself, your relationships, and the patterns that shape them—along with new ways of engaging with yourself and the people you love.
Here’s a snapshot of the clients I often work with:
Adult Individuals:
You’ve experienced challenging relationships that left you feeling like you’re “the problem.” You often struggle with anxiety and distressing memories, and you have trouble being kind to yourself. Maybe it started in your family growing up, and now looking back you’re realizing that what you thought was normal was actually damaging. You’re seeking context, clarity, and a way of reconciling what your brain knows with what your heart and body are feeling.
Older Children & Teens (ages 12 and up)
Your teen is high-achieving, a subtle perfectionist, and their teachers reference their “old soul” and advanced maturity. But they’ve been through hard things that shape how they see themselves and the world, and worries about the future seep into the edges of everything they do. The kid you see at home gets anxious, overwhelmed, and paralyzed by decisions, and the more they try to get unstuck, the harder they spiral. You want them to have tools for managing stress, big emotions, and the relational minefield that is middle and high school.
Couples
The beginning of your relationship was so full of love. But you’re grappling with burnout, a “busy brain,” and past hurts that have you feeling disconnected and disheartened. You and your partner struggle with profound differences in upbringing that create friction in the day-to-day, and conditions like ADHD, anxiety, or complex trauma may feel like an unwelcome third party in the relationship. You want to feel like a team again, rather than soldiers in the same foxhole taking friendly fire from one another.
Children & Families of All Ages
Your family is going through an upheaval. Significant changes like merging or dissolving households, a major health event, or a shared loss have shaken the way you understand and connect with one another, and you’re not sure how to move forward. You’re trapped in ways of interacting that used to feel natural, but now create conflict and resentment. You’re determined not to repeat the template of your own childhood, and need guidance in rewriting your family playbook.
Working with me
My style centers connection, insight, and accountability. Whether we’re doing individual work, couples therapy, or family counseling, we’ll start by exploring your story and how it’s influenced the way you show up to daily life. I use curiosity, humor, and evidenced-based practices, often blending time-tested therapy techniques with metaphor and pop culture to help the information stick.
I’ve learned through experience that I do my best work when I bring my personality into the therapy room. I’ll use your hobbies and interests to anchor conversation, and occasionally reference some of my own (reading, gardening, “geek” culture, and my dogs). I think out loud, mix metaphors, and often swivel (gently) back and forth in my office chair. My office sees a lot of laughter, but I’m not afraid to sit with my clients in their pain.
If you’re a fellow member of the “busy brain” club, I look forward to making you feel seen and understood. Contact us to learn more, or request an appointment if you’re ready to schedule!
Areas of Focus
Late-Diagnosed ADHD
Making sense of lifelong struggles through a new lens and developing strategies that work with your brain, rather than against it.
High-Masking Autism
Unpacking the impact of years spent camouflaging autistic traits and building a life that feels more authentic and sustainable.
Anxiety Disorders
Reducing the constant cycle of worry, overthinking, and self-doubt while building confidence in your ability to navigate uncertainty.
Mixed Anxiety/ADHD Relationships
Helping couples understand the ways anxiety and ADHD interact, create friction, and influence communication, responsibility, and connection.
Complicated Family Relationships
Navigating difficult family dynamics, establishing healthier boundaries, and deciding how you want those relationships to fit into your life.
Parentification
Exploring how early role reversals and caretaking shaped your identity and patterns across relationships.
Adult Children of Emotionally Immature or Unstable Parents
Untangling the lasting impact of growing up in chaotic environments, walking on eggshells, and having your emotional needs minimized or ignored.
Family-of-Origin Trauma
Understanding how early family experiences continue to influence self-worth, relationships, boundaries, and emotional well-being in adulthood.
The Lenses I Use
Systems Theory – Understanding people within the context of their relationships, family dynamics, and larger environments rather than viewing struggles in isolation.
Narrative Therapy – Exploring the stories people tell about themselves and creating space for new, more empowering ways of understanding their experiences.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) – Helping clients understand and care for the different “parts” of themselves that developed to cope with life’s challenges.
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) – Tapping into the brain’s natural process of integrating distressing memories and reducing their emotional charge.
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) – Helping couples and families identify emotional patterns, strengthen attachment bonds, and create more secure relationships.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – Examining the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors to develop healthier and more effective ways of responding to life’s challenges.
Structural Family Therapy – Looking at family roles, boundaries, and interaction patterns to create healthier and more flexible ways of relating to one another.
Education, Licensure, & Training
Independent Marriage & Family Therapist
State of Ohio, license # F.2400449
Master of Arts in Marriage & Family Therapy – The University of Akron
Additional training in:
- Eye Movement Desensitization Therapy (EMDR)
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Affirming practices for clients with Autism & ADHD
- Working with families impacted by substance use