About Dr. Julie

Welcome, and thank you for being here!

As a neurodivergent psychologist, I am passionate about helping you explore how your brain works using the tools of psychological science. My own lived experiences as a neurodivergent person help me cultivate a sense of safety, inclusion, and deep understanding within our work. I value authenticity, creativity, diversity, and co-creating knowledge together.

Please think of me as your guide on this journey.

How I View Psychology & Human Experience

I am trained as a health psychologist with a specialization in pediatric school psychology. This background gives me a deep understanding of how the brain and body interact, and how that connection impacts how we learn, love, and live.

I view psychology from a functional-evolutionary perspective: I believe that most behaviors, emotions, and thoughts exist for a functional reason—even when we aren't consciously aware of what that reason is. I don't view people, behaviors, or thoughts as inherently "normal" or "abnormal," "good" or "bad"—we just are.

We all experience similar challenges in uniquely different ways. Certain differences are often only disabling when a person is placed in an unsupportive environment. As a neurodivergent psychologist, I am guided by the philosophy of radical acceptance and cultural humility. I balance established assessment practices with a deep respect for your individuality, strengths, and lived experience, emphasizing the systemic and social factors—often outside of individual control—that shape human functioning.

How We Work Together

My role is to serve as your guide across three main pillars:

Exploring Your Functioning: Using psychological and neuropsychological evaluations to help you understand exactly how your brain and body operate within your unique world.
Advocating for Your Needs: Identifying concrete, actionable strategies so you can advocate for yourself across all settings—whether at school, at work, or in the community.
Building on Your Strengths: Helping you lean into your natural gifts so you can navigate life’s most important areas with clarity and confidence.

A Safe, Neurodivergent-Affirming Space

I am proudly pro-autism and pro-neurodivergence. I deeply enjoy working with autistic and neurodivergent individuals on their own terms, and I recognize the vital, irreplaceable gifts neurodivergent people bring to our world.

When you seek care here, you can always expect to be treated with dignity, respect, and deep consideration for your unique sensory and energy needs.

My Background & Early Training

Before becoming a licensed psychologist, my path began with supporting individuals with disabilities through volunteer work in special education (including the Children's Institute) and conducting state-sponsored disability evaluations for emerging adults.

In 2014, I earned my Ph.D. in Health Psychology with a specialization in Pediatric School Psychology from East Carolina University, alongside a Master’s degree and a certificate of specialization in School Psychology. Because pediatric health psychologists bridge school and medical settings, my foundational training focused heavily on psychological and neuropsychological evaluations—specifically understanding how medical conditions impact brain functioning and how that translates to school, work, and home life.

Though my doctoral program primarily focused on youth and learning, I cross-trained in Clinical Health Psychology to support adult populations as well. My broad clinical training spanned:

University outpatient mental health clinics
School-based mental health clinics
Primary care and specialty medical practices
Inpatient neuropsychology units (supporting patients following brain injuries)

These experiences taught me how to engage children using developmentally responsive approaches while effectively consulting with the crucial adults in their lives—parents, teachers, and physicians.

Systems-Level Perspective & Primary Care Experience

Following my doctoral work, I completed an internship with the Illinois School Psychology Internship Consortium on the Medical Track—a specialized track I had the privilege of helping create. I then completed a post-doctoral fellowship in a rural primary care setting.

I spent the majority of my early clinical career working in Primary Care Behavioral Health (PCBH), a fast-paced consultation model where I saw up to 12 patients a day and consulted on many more. Over four years, I collaboratively supported nearly 4,000 patients. This high volume exposed me to a wide spectrum of human experiences and deepened my ability to connect with individuals across diverse backgrounds and identities.

More than anything, this period illuminated the profound impact of systemic factors on personal wellness. It became clear that many patients were not suffering due to an innate illness, but because they lacked access to essential resources—medication, safe environments, adequate food, secure work, and safe spaces to move their bodies.

Advocacy, Consulting & Gender-Affirming Care

Recognizing the toll of these heavy, systemic issues, I stepped away from full-time clinical practice to focus directly on macro-level change. I provided implementation support to state agencies rolling out community-based programming and federal education law (IDEA). While this consulting and research work highlighted just how slow and complex systemic reform can be, it deepened my strategic understanding of health and educational systems.

Concurrently, I maintained a private practice focused on gender-supportive care, drawing on my specialized graduate training to walk alongside individuals exploring their gender identity.

Returning Home to Pittsburgh

Now, returning to my hometown of Pittsburgh, I am thrilled to integrate every facet of my training, systemic advocacy, and clinical expertise into this evaluation clinic. My practice is grounded entirely in neurodivergent-affirming, person-centered care—reflecting both my formal education and the invaluable lessons taught to me by the thousands of patients I’ve served along the way.

Professional Memberships

American Psychological Association (APA) – Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity) & Division 54 (Society of Pediatric Psychology)
National Register of Health Service Psychologists
The American Academy of Pediatric Neuropsychology

Austen Psychological Services is located on the ancestral lands of the Adena, Hopewell, Monongahela, Haudenosaunee, Lenape, Shawnee, Seneca, Iroquois, Wyandotte, Delaware, Mingo, Osage, and other peoples. We humbly recognize these, and all other ancestors, whose names have been purposefully erased or forgotten by time.

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