Meet Julie Kittredge | Licensed Professional Counselor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Kittredge and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, how do you think about risk?
This is a great question. I believe risk and courage are partners. I feel like I’ve had to fight hard for the risks I’ve chosen. I’ve experienced inequalities in the business world and in life, where men are seen as shrewd and smart when taking educated risks, but women can be seen as reckless when taking similar risks. It was suggested recently that my courage was rooted in a deep fear, what that revealed to me was a lack of curiosity about my story and how I’ve come to own a deep intuition and knowing that informs my courage. It insinuated that I couldn’t possibly walk in courage from a place of strength. While I believe that courage and risk are not exercised in the absence of fear, I don’t believe either is born from fear either. For me, courage and risk are rooted in a deep knowing and intuition, a willingness to learn from making mistakes, and knowing I can pivot at any time. Risk is a choice, and for me, it is born from strength.

I have made entrepreneurial and personal choices through a deep knowing that if I didn’t step out and explore the possibilities of a door I hoped to open, I would regret it. Part of taking risks is making the daily choice to live without regrets. I am more afraid of not trying and wishing I had than of trying and making a mistake. Setbacks and challenging times are the garden where growth and resilience bloom. It’s in the hard parts of my story where I can see the most empowerment to change, experiment, and learn who I am. I know that if I risk something and it doesn’t work out, in most circumstances, I have the agency (and privilege) to change my mind or explore something different. I’ve never risked anything that didn’t eventually work out with some shifts in mindset, resources, or reevaluation of pathways. The outcome may look different, but it always works out if you’re willing to be flexible with how the story plays out. It’s kind of an adventure! I can say with confidence that I have never regretted an intentional decision I’ve made that felt risky, even when I have not had the freedom to change my mind. I have only ever regretted playing it safe.

I also believe healthy risk is rooted in a deep intuition and self-awareness. Educated risk is based on past experiences, present learning, and future vision of what could be (and often a little wise counsel). When making a decision that impacts my finances, relationships, or personal well-being, I know that boundaries and differentiation play a role. What feels like a risk to me may not feel risky to someone else based on my historical story, present values, and future dreams. I’m okay with that. Empowerment in risk is to own that the risk is mine, whether the outcome is successful or not. Either way, I grow from it. Growth requires movement, and movement requires risk. I believe it’s never too late to start.

This quote summarizes the way I perceive the journey of life, risk, failure, success, choice, and courage, “Though fairy tales end after ten pages, our lives do not. We are multi-volume sets. In our lives, even though one episode amounts to a crash and burn, there is always another episode awaiting us and then another. There are always more opportunities to get it right, to fashion our lives in the ways we deserve to have them. Don’t waste your time hating a failure. Failure is a greater teacher than success.” ― Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Women Who Run With the Wolves

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m currently in private practice, seeing clients full-time as a licensed professional counselor. Making the leap to private practice this year wasn’t hard due to my history of entrepreneurship. I believe every vocation we hold teaches us something that we bring into our next chapter and can inform next steps.

Much of my entrepreneurial journey is rooted in survival. Many years ago, I was a full-time family photographer for about eight years; this was motivated during a season of financial challenges while my spouse at the time was severely underemployed. I had three small children at home and needed to find a way to make ends meet on evenings and weekends. I taught myself how to use my camera using library books and YouTube videos. That’s where I learned how much I loved being an entrepreneur. I became proficient at using social media as a marketing tool, which led me to teach business classes at the local library to other entrepreneurs. After some time, I needed a shift. My kids were growing, and I was in a season of reflecting on how our days are numbered. We never know if we’ll get tomorrow, so in the interest of “living as though my days are numbered,” I knew one dream I would regret not stepping into one day was the dream of becoming a ceramic artist and living into my identity as an artist. I knew I was an artist, but it was discouraged as a child and young adult. I chose to exercise that gift and step into ceramics with a lot of fear that it might fail. It was such a deep dream that the idea of not walking in it was just as terrifying as the possibility that I would be terrible at it. It felt like a brave risk. Stepping into that dream became a beautiful expression of my heart and soul through ceramics with a home studio and strong local support from my community. My former work as a photographer and becoming social media savvy was a huge benefit as I sold my work. That was a sweet season of creating and building a heart-centered business. The business grew to a point where I needed to scale or intentionally stay small. I chose to stay small thanks to my mindset around “Essentialism” and the pursuit of less. More is not always more, but that meant it would never bring in a full-time income without scaling. My choice was a little counter-cultural to how most define success, but I’ve never been known to “do what everyone else is doing.”

Fast forward to my present journey as a therapist, we made a big cross-country move from Chicago to Colorado for the sunshine and the mountains during the COVID years. I needed to find a way to make a full-time income, and I wanted to do something that would give me a sense of purpose. Throughout the years of raising kids, I had been in and out of therapy to process a difficult relationship and had experienced a lot of personal growth and discovery of truth through that journey. At this point, I’m in mid-life and wondered, was it too late to get my Masters degree? The answer will forever be Heck No. I used my ceramics to put me through graduate school as a middle-aged woman. Grad school was one of the most rigorous and rewarding experiences of my life and my current private practice was the north star of all that work; this particular vision took 5 1/2 years from the beginning of graduate school to this year to accomplish. It has been worth every sacrifice.

I hold the posture that failing is not failing, it is learning. Every step I’ve taken professionally and entrepreneurially is with a deep knowledge of what I’m working towards. Maybe it has been for financial freedom, personal freedom, to finally exercise my artistry, or to encourage others in their journey of untangling and restoration. There has been something deep inside of me that has clarity about my purpose. None of it was easy, but it has made me resilient and empowered, and I wouldn’t trade any of my experiences. Sometimes, it’s been lonely, and I know that some of my grit is a result of the hardships I’ve been through. There’s something about survival that builds character and a “can-do” attitude. Maybe this is the root of my deep courage.

I think what may set me apart as a therapist working with individual souls in this chapter of my entrepreneurial life is that I listen beyond what is said. I have a heart sense of people and what I’m listening for is what their heart is telling me behind their words. I hold a lot of stories every day. Stories of hardship and pain and stories of resilience and growth. I ask questions that help my clients hear themselves better and experience untangling from confusion and self-judgment. I help them explore how their story impacts what they are struggling with in the present and I help them rediscover their own inner one-of-a-kind-ness. I get to watch clients go from saying, “I think I’m beyond help,” to building healthier relationships with themselves and others, exercising new and healthy emotional skills, and finding a greater sense of inner strength. This is hard and rewarding work.

I’m excited about a new modality I’m starting in my work with clients, which is to integrate the ways our gut health impacts mental health. There are non-pharmaceutical ways of treating mild to moderate anxiety and depression by assessing nutrition, mineral deficiencies, sleep quality, physical activity, stress, relationships, and environment, all of which have a major impact on inflammation, gut health, and brain health. Did you know that the gut is called “the second brain” because it uses many of the same neurotransmitters as the brain? The gut and brain communicate using the vagus nerve, which influences emotions and mood. I began to educate myself about gut health in my personal journey toward feeling good long before becoming a therapist. I’m excited to bridge some of these topics I’ve had a personal interest in and integrate them into therapeutic work in supporting clients struggling with anxiety and depression. I am not anti-pharmaceutical, as I have recommended that path to clients, too. Medication is a great tool, and I’ve watched it help clients’ quality of life tremendously, but sometimes individuals want to try other holistic avenues before going that route.

My story continues to evolve, and I have big ideas for where I want to take my private practice. I want to expand into group offerings using integrative nutrition and expressive arts, and providing supervision for therapists in training in the next couple of years. I’ve also recently co-founded a Collective with two of my peers that is just getting off the ground. We believe that we heal individually in the work we engage one-on-one, but that’s just the beginning. There is deeper work in the process of allowing our individual healing to impact others as we continue to heal each other within the context of relationships and community. We call it “The Art of Becoming Collective.” We’re literally 2 months old!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Oh I love this question. If you’re familiar with the enneagram, I’m a seven, so the idea of an adventure and finding fun things to do speaks my language! A few of my favorite spots in Fort Collins include the Armory, which is an intimate little venue where I love to listen to live music. If it’s summer, we would hit the farmers market where we’d browse artist-made goods, support small local shops, and enjoy fresh food and fresh flowers.

In the evening, we would head down to Social for a little happy hour signature cocktail and shared charcuterie board or drive over to Simmer in mid-town sit on the patio and chat over a burger and peach margarita. If you like them tart, the BEST margaritas are at Mas Fuegos; their tacos are generous, too. If there is an interesting exhibit going on at the Museum of Art, we would take a minute to check that out.

At some point, I would also have to introduce my friend to the mountains for a trail in the area within an hour’s drive. There are so many! If I planned ahead for the timed entry, we would explore Estes and hike up to Lake Haiyaha. Chasm Lake is one of my favorites, but I’m not sure my out-of-state sea-level friend would be ready for that. We might paddle board Santaka Cove in Horsetooth one afternoon or go horseback riding with the kind folks at Sylvandale Ranch. For chill time, I have a few special spots where I like to hammock, but I’m going to keep those secret spots between me and my visiting friend. 🙂

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I cannot even imagine where I would be without the support of my inner circle friendships throughout the years. They have varied in different seasons from business mastermind groups, speaker groups, and a small inner circle of girlfriends who know all the details of my life story and professional journey. Women supporting women is a powerhouse of encouragement, truth-telling, and a network of life experiences and resources that are unparalleled. I have been influenced by so many women in different seasons of my life, past and present. You know who you are. 🙂

I’m also a reader and there is one single book that I have read multiple times. “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,” by Greg McKeown. This book taught me that “No” is a complete sentence and that simplifying and focusing on what is most important is a superpower.

I would be remiss to leave out my own therapists (the good fit ones), who have held space for my story and journey of untangling from a messy life. I am doing the work I do now as a therapist to give back from the gifts of clarity and wholeness I engaged in my relationship with my therapists. I learned a lot of truth from the good ones (and I learned what not to do from the not-so-good ones).

Website: https://www.juliekittredge.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliekittredgecounseling/

Other: The Art of Becoming Collective (www.theartofbecomingcollective.com)

Image Credits
I photographed all images except the group shot in front of the house. You can credit Becky Young for the group shot.