My Background
plus a more personal story
Julie graduated 1993 from University of Puget Sound with a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy after graduating from Western Washington University with a Bachelor of Sciences degree in Pre-Physical Therapy. She worked in an outpatient physical therapy setting, including work hardening and work conditioning, for Good Samaritan Hospital for 3 years. The next 14 years were spent helping clients in skilled nursing and assisted living facilities to gain optimal functional mobility to return to their greatest level of independence. Most of her experience is in working with clients with hip and knee replacements, stroke victims, amputees, Parkinson's Disease, balance dysfunctions, and wheelchair needs, including custom fitting & wheelchair recommendations. The last 11 years have included work in an outpatient physical therapy setting after her personal experience with lower back pain and surgery.
Julie has taken a special interest in integrating postural assessment, myofascial release techniques, and neuromuscular re-education to restore optimal functional mobility. She teaches body awareness of posture and movement, strengthening the core, and stabilizing muscles of the body and uses soft tissue techniques to help restore movement of restricted tissues and to improve body mechanics. Recent coursework includes Ortho-Bionomy (working toward practitioner), L.I.F.T Method applied to Anatomy Trains, Aston Patterning (BodyWorks and Functional Movement Assessment techniques), Myofascial Release with the John Barnes Institute, Muscle Energy Techniques, Strain-Counterstrain techniques, Gordon Brown Treatment of the Low Back and Upper Extremities, Pilates (matwork with options for reformer training) and Gary Gray Functional 3D. Recently (over the last 6 years practicing), a practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy® (completed in 2020).
Julie’s approaches tend to work really well with particularly complex medical/orthopedic impairments (injury upon injury), in which traditional physical therapy has not been successful. Julie is passionate about treating the body as a whole system, with interworking parts, Physically, and with consideration of mental, emotional, spiritual and nutritional health. Her main focus is Physical (as a physical therapist), but the other areas of life are considered in your healing process, as they have an impact on the body’s Physical well-being. The other important factor in Julie’s approach is having a personal investment in your healing, incorporating healthy choices and movement and positioning into your day, to optimize improvements.
A more personal story...
After years of training and practice in physical therapy, I suffered a back injury in 2008. The last thing a physical therapist wants to do is surgery. This began my pursuit to alleviate pain and dysfunction through a variety of therapies: physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists (of various modalities), acupuncture, injection, to no avail. Over a few months my function had reduced to face down on a massage table in the middle of my living room (the only positions that would relieve my leg pain). "Living" on my massage table with a 5-10-minute window of function before 10/10 pain returned into my leg. I felt more like I was existing, not living. Not quietly though, because I was thinking through every option I knew of out there... movement, any modality I was comfortable trying and prayer. Not being able to picture continuing my life in this position for any longer, i went to "extreme" measures, a microdiscectomy. Immediate relief (I’m not saying this is for everyone, but looking back at my history, MRI and condition, I have no doubt this was the right decision). I realize this surgery is not as major as some people have gone through with their backs and necks, etc. but there must be some re-education and strengthening afterwards.
After recovering from the surgery, I returned to physical therapy, finding it frustrating that the core exercises were hurting my back, and therefore I didn’t want to do them. I again tried a couple of different therapists, but no one was able to re-educate and fine tune these key exercises. I was discouraged, that the very things I need to do to get stronger were hurting my back and now where do I go for help? I’m an athlete, I have done a lot of training in my day, I know how to work hard and power through, but this was different.
A colleague/friend of mine, I started seeing for therapy, did structural integration with me, and I began to see and feel changes for the better with treatment from “unaffected” areas of my body. I found my back pain was less and I had better ability to work my core muscles (without back pain) when the restrictions in my rib cage, shoulders and neck were released. I developed an increased body awareness and ability to stabilize. I began learning connections with the “Anatomy Trains” of Tom Meyers work. I had movement re-education from other movement specialists who connected my body from head to toe with movement, and movement exploration. Hope restored. I have learned how to test for restrictions generally and specifically using myofascial length testing techniques, which sheds light on dominant movement strategies. I have been trained in the LIFT Method (Ligament Influence Fascial Technique, which has its roots in Manual Ligament Therapy), using the neurologic system through the ligaments to help reset muscle tone and re-train/re-educate neuromuscular movement.
I was first introduced to Ortho-Bionomy® in 2014, impressed by the gentleness and profound results. Similar to Strain Counter Strain and positional release techniques. It has this same root in osteopathy with applied Judo principles of Dr. Lawrence Jones (strain counter strain). Arthur Lincoln Pauls (founder) was a student and colleague of Dr. Jones. “Ortho-Bionomy® is an educational system, gentle and non-forceful homeopathic, biofeedback technique that looks at the patterns that exist within the whole person.”[i] To find out more see this link www.ortho-bionomy.org. I am active Practitioner of Ortho-Bionomy®. I continue to be pleased at how gentle the work can be and have such profound effects for improved alignment, function and decreased pain. Ortho-Bionomy® meets you where you are, increases resilience, supports your body and reminds the body of its own self corrective reflex response. It does not diagnose, manipulate, fix or judge; only supports.
As I continue my training in strengthening my core and function, I use balls and rollers to maintain my mobility. I still need tune ups from other practitioners to restore mobility from time-to-time and have someone give me feedback.
I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with each person the Lord puts in my path. I am open to working with people where they need help. Let me know where and when you are ready to start, with movement retraining, Ortho-Bionomy® sessions or other bodywork. I am thankful for all the learning opportunities the Lord has provided over the years. I look forward to working with you!
[i] Ortho-Bioinomy® Phase IV handout, by Terri Lee, Advanced Instructor of Ortho-Bionomy®
*Ortho-Bionomy® is a registered trademark of the Society of Ortho-Bionomy International, Inc. and is used with permission.