Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Aziz.
Hi Julia, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My current work as a psychotherapist and ceremonialist looks quite different than when I began in the mid-nineties. I started out on a pretty traditional path studying psychology then social work, but the mental health perspective felt limited to me, especially in relation to the bigger existential questions. While beginning work as a counselor and facilitator, I also expanded my studies–taking a several month meditation sabbatical in Asia, exploring world religions and ceremony at an interfaith seminary, and training in all sorts of creative, somatic, and traditional healing practices. Throughout this time and beyond, I was working in nonprofit counseling centers, healthcare organizations, and alternative schools. Once I became ordained, I also started independently facilitating silent writing and movement retreats and life cycle ceremonies, alongside part time work in interfaith hospice chaplaincy. I had always felt a deep call to be of service, but like so many helping professionals encouraged to martyr themselves to the work, I eventually started to burn out. The challenge was more than just the inherent emotional toll, it was navigating the pressures of organizations always needing more clients seen in less time. There were many twists and turns in my career over those years, especially when work had to be balanced with raising three children. I had to do a lot of letting go as I became more grounded in myself and my own path. I eventually arrived at a turning point and took the risk to believe in what was genuinely in my heart to offer, even if that didn’t look like how other people were doing things. I had always felt a deep connection with nature and ritual, and I had found creativity and intuition to be very powerful in my own healing and for other folks in emotional caregiving roles. I had been leading groups, ceremonies, and retreats for years by then, but my jobs at established organizations had taken a lot of my energy. This time I went all in with my own practice, with a mission to serve those on the front lines of caring for others. I knew the “helpers” needed help too. Knowing I wanted and needed to be in integrity with this work, I was intentional about setting up my practice in a way that would respect my own sensitivities, capacities, and home responsibilities. In this second half of my career, I’ve been offering individual psychotherapy, professional consultation, and spiritual direction, as well as women’s groups, silent retreats, workshops, weddings, memorials, and all sorts of other life cycle ceremonies. I tailor my approach to the unique needs of the individual or group, whether someone comes to me for psychotherapy, a consultation on their work, a specifically designed ceremony, or a restorative group process. I am so grateful to be doing what I do now. I am deeply humbled and inspired by getting to support so many moms, mental health professionals, healthcare practitioners, administrators and managers, teachers, creatives, elder caregivers, and other caring individuals who give much of their time and energy to others.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has been a long and winding road! In my education and training, I often felt constrained by the established tracks. The mental health field felt like it was boxing up people’s unique complexities, commercializing healing modalities, and often contributing to keeping inequitable systems in place. And while I felt much more freedom in studying diverse wisdom traditions, most paths wanted followers, not individuals who trusted their own inner connectedness. So I had to learn discernment, taking in what I needed from my studies, while unwinding some of the hidden conditioning. Workwise, I spent the first part of my career in service I believed in, with clients I deeply cared for, but in organizations that were always struggling to stay afloat and environments that were incredibly rough on my nervous system. From a young age, I had felt a compelling pull to somehow be of use in a world full of so much human suffering, but the politics, the pressures, and the financial hardships of the systems depleted my energy and spirit. At the time, no one talked about sensitivity, self-care, or burnout; vicarious trauma was barely mentioned. So I had to learn for myself how to continue in the healing profession in a sustainable way, while also caring for my children and financially providing for my family. As is often the case, some of the struggles along my way became the doorway to the learning I most needed at the time. In looking back, I can see how not fitting into the established mode was exactly what I needed to forge my own path of discovery and service. I am grateful for the continued evolving journey!
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The people that work with me are often navigating some kind of personal, relationship, family, career, health, hormonal, or other life transition. In addition to these big changes, I support folks dealing with anxiety, grief and loss, burnout, people pleasing, perfectionism, caregiver stress, spiritual questions, and facing one’s own mortality. And of course, some are just looking for help staying grounded in this chaotic, uncertain world. Many of my clients are supporting others in some way, at home and/or at work, and they are really craving some space for themselves. I believe what sets me apart is how I like to keep things simple, down to earth, and attuned to a person’s individuality and essence. I’ve been trained in a lot of different modalities, but my main focus is on helping folks access their own inner clarity and resilience. When someone can deepen their sense of trust and connection with themselves and the big mystery of all that is (however they experience that), a lot of beautiful shifts can occur naturally. So for example, I facilitate what I call self-healing in community through Release & Empower: A Group Program for Women Moving Through Change. This virtual practice circle gives women a protected space to release pent-up emotions through both mind and body, so they find self-compassion and the courage they need to face whatever is in front of them. It’s not about looking outside for answers; each woman finds her own through a process of writing, movement, music, and sharing. Along with my other individual, group, and community offerings, in essence it’s about strengthening one’s ability to navigate change while feeling permission to be one’s full, multifaceted, wild, authentic self.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Please check out my work at juliaaziz.com or sign up for my mailing list if you’d like to connect further!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://juliaaziz.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliasaziz/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliasaziz/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-aziz-49604149
- Other: https://juliaaziz.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=1ecd543de213adba0fdddce56&id=e5f7cf0210
