Julia Dawoud
Julia Dawoud is the owner of Harp Counseling. She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) and Qualified Supervisor in the state of Florida.
There is no doubt that living with sadness and anxiety, with no sense of direction and purpose can leave you feeling helpless and hopeless. You do not need to live like this day in and day out. You deserve to give yourself a chance to feel better with professional help.
Let me tell you a little bit about why I have made it my lives mission to help clients struggling with mental health challenges. I was raised in a Christian Egyptian household where I struggled to understand my identity and where I culturally, ethnically, and spiritually fit in. Then when I was a preteen, my parents decided to move our family from South England to North America. It was a significant culture shock during a developmental stage where identity formation is already a significant challenge. When I got into high school, I remember feeling so lost and confused that I personally struggled with bouts of anxiety and depression that caused me to seek unhealthy ways to manage. This continued on through my young adult years until I finally sought help. I remember how nervous I was to ask for help, and how much stigma there was in my community around mental illness. I had nothing but fears starting my journey, but thankfully, I can say that it was life changing. In therapy, and with spiritual counsel, I was able to move from feeling lost and hopeless too feeling a sense of control and freedom that I had never felt before. As I was working in therapy to transform my life, I also decided to get into the field of mental health, getting my B.A. in Psychology, and then my M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. My struggle turned into my passion, which drives me to both address mental illness on a personal and professional level.
For over 10 years now, I have had the absolute pleasure of walking alongside each of my clients. Listening, attending, providing a non-judgmental, client-centered space, is the place I feel most comfortable, and the place where clients have been able to relax, unfold, and make incredible change. I needed someone to remind me that my life does have worth, that I do have something to offer, and that I do deserve to life a more fulfilling life, and I am able to translate this to my clients as they do their work to gain their own sense of purpose and meaning.
Facing life’s challenges can be overwhelming but it is a necessary step in being able to move forward. The key is not to do it alone, but with a professional who has many years of practice and experience helping clients move along. If you are sick of feeling down, anxious, and stuck, call today for a free consultation and I would be happy to answer any of the questions you might have about starting therapy.