Welcome to BetterHelp! I’m so happy you were able to take this step forward! My name is Julia Donato and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in New York State. I have been practicing for almost 6 years in a variety of settings, including residential facilities, private practice offices, schools, the community and in clients’ homes. I am educated primarily to work with family systems, including extensive knowledge regarding intimate relationships. Most of my experience is working with kids and teenagers, as well as their families. I also have training and education around parenting, the difficulties, emotions involved and helpful skills and techniques. In general, I have worked with many clients dealing with depression, anxiety, life transitions, trauma, self-motivation and relationship concerns. I work from two main theories of therapy, including Attachment Theory and Cognitive Behavioral Theory. Using Attachment theory basically means I am curious about your family and friend supports so I can better understand how you grew up, the important people in your life and how they contribute to your success. As for Cognitive Behavioral theory, I prefer working with the techniques in this theory, as they are easy to learn and can be used at home in your daily life, helping you build better patterns. Generally, I am also interested in all the different systems of your life, as I believe they impact each other. However, I definitely want all clients to be able to lead their own journeys in treatment, and so I will look to you to provide goals and objectives. I view your role as the leader on this journey, and my role as the guide, helping provide all the potential pathway options. My initial goal is to always build a strong relationship with each client so that treatment can be tailored to your specific needs. I work from a very collaborative perspective and so I will work hard to make sure treatment is how you envisioned. I want to make sure all clients receive the care they need, and so I am always open to feedback from clients on what might work for them. I truly want what is best for all my clients, as I always want everyone to feel whole and full of life. Thank you for reading and I cannot wait to work together!