Practitioner record · Checked 9 Oct 2026
Julie Ekman has been in practice 29 years and is licensed in Illinois. Julie lists stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and self esteem among 19 subjects on the BetterHelp roster.
Everything below is either quoted from Julie's own BetterHelp listing, taken from public licensing records, or written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such. Nothing here is an availability promise, a review, or a rating.
01 · Who Julie works with
Julie lists 5 specialisms and 14 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Julie chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.
02 · In Julie's own words
Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.
With 29 years of experience in social work, I am a licensed professional in Illinois. I hold two master's degrees: a Master of Social Work from the University of Denver and a Master of Arts in School Leadership from Concordia University.
My professional background includes experience as both a family therapist and a school social worker, with 26 of those years dedicated to middle school students. I use a holistic, client-centered approach to therapy, including strengths-based, solution-focused, and cognitive behavioral techniques. I believe in meeting clients where they are and working together to build a treatment plan that addresses their unique needs.
My areas of expertise include but are not limited to helping clients with:
* Stress and anxiety * Family conflicts * Motivation, self-esteem, and confidence * Life goals * Career difficulties * Coping with life changes
I am committed to treating every individual with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Taking the first step toward a more fulfilling life requires courage, and I am here to support you in that journey.
Julie Ekman, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026
03 · What happens next
Julie practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Julie's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.
BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Julie at this point.
BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Julie is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Julie.
You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.
A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.
Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.
04 · Before you commit
Built from what Julie actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Julie's - Julie has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.
“With 29 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”
Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.
“How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”
On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.
05 · Practical details
06 · Provenance
Julie's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.
The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.
Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Julie. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.
Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.
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