Julie Morgavi Therapy
About Julie Morgavi MA, LMFT
About Julie
This is my second career. Third, if you count raising kids and starting a school—which I do.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I spent twelve years as a voice director in animation, a career I loved and one that earned me two Emmy Awards. Then life took an unexpected turn.
When it became clear that my oldest child was not going to fit neatly into the traditional Western education box, I left that career and joined a burgeoning movement of mothers looking for another way to educate our children. Together, we created what became the Mariposa School of Global Education, still thriving today in Agoura Hills, California.
I didn't know it at the time, but all of those experiences were leading me here.
I've spent a good portion of my life interested in what makes people tick—why we become who we become, how we adapt to the circumstances we're given, why we sometimes keep doing things that no longer work for us, and what allows us to change.
I believe walking through our own personal fire can help us relate and empathize in meaningful ways. And even when we don't share the same experience, we share the ride of being human.
So when I say the gig of being human is hard, I'm not speaking theoretically.
I've been exploring some version of these questions for as long as I can remember. Long before I had the psychological language I have today, I was interested in what it means to be human: our need for connection, the sometimes ridiculous things we do trying to find it, the pain of losing it, and our extraordinary capacity to keep going.
Over time, that curiosity has become something more.
A surge of empathy for the human experience. A surge of compassion for the baptism by fire that is life. A surge of grace for the innocence of bumbling through life with no operating instructions. And a surge of desire to accompany my fellow travelers on their journeys.
There is something incredibly humbling about doing this work. The longer I do it, the less surprised I am by humanity—and the more interested I become in understanding it.
Apparently, I've Been Thinking About This for a While...
There's video evidence!
About a decade ago, I wrote and performed a personal essay exploring some of these same ideas. It's part comedy, part tragedy, and considerably less psychologically and therapeutically refined than how I might talk about these things today. But when I look back at it, what surprises me is how much of the underlying philosophy is already there.
The language has evolved.
The questions really haven't.
Here's me a decade ago, trying to figure all this stuff out myself.
How I Think About Therapy
FIRST and foremost, before the influence of culture and religion, before our parents and extended families and society begin to mold and shape us into some expected image, we are biological living organisms designed and wired with an innate and primal desire to survive.
As such, our survival instincts are often what's "runnin' the show."
Very early on, we figure out what works for us to stay safe. We learn what we need to do—and who we need to be—to survive in the family and environment we were born into.
And that’s where adaptations enter the chat.
We develop strategies to protect ourselves and preserve connection, safety, and belonging. I often use the language of Internal Family Systems (IFS) when referring to these adaptations as protector parts—the parts of us that learned very early what they needed to do, and who they needed to be, to keep us safe.
When we were younger, smaller, and less resourced, these protector parts “reported for duty.”
At the time, they were assets.
Unfortunately, those same adaptations that once helped us survive often become liabilities later in life. The very strategies—or protector parts—that once kept us safe might now be getting in the way of the things we're trying so hard to find: understanding, safe and healthy communication and meaningful connection.
These adaptations, strategies, or protector parts can sometimes become the very thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that eventually get characterized as “disorders.”
That's where I get curious.
Rather than asking, What's wrong with you?, I'm much more interested in: What happened? What did you need? What were the silent (and not so silent) messages you received? And how is that old solution showing up in your life today?
When we begin decoding that blueprint, shame and blame can give way to understanding, compassion and, much needed grace.
It wasn't your fault.
However, if you’d like things to be different, it is your responsibility.
So here we are.
Let's figure it out.
My Philosophy on Healing
My trauma-informed approach is based on Attachment Theory and C-PTSD. Relational issues, trauma, estrangement, addiction, as well as unleashing the creative spirit and living life "on purpose," are all areas I am passionate about.
I incorporate conventional therapeutic modalities as well as specific trauma interventions such as KAP, ART, and IFS. I also incorporate a harm-reduction approach toward addiction and a Buddhist Psychology perspective. I embrace all forms of spirituality as a source of healing.
I believe in equality for all, am spiritually minded, a defender of the oppressed, and a rabid ally for underrepresented, disenfranchised, and marginalized communities.
While always striving for comprehensive understanding and consideration of the societal impact on diversity, I have also come to appreciate the fundamental commonalities we share in the human experience.
I place an exceptionally high value on the delicacy of the therapeutic process and the importance of the client-therapist relationship.
I strongly believe we are not meant to walk this earth alone.
Why I Still Love This Work
Therapy is emotional work. It can get messy and painful, and sometimes things feel worse before they feel better.
But there is no greater reward than helping someone connect the dots, find answers where before there were none, or helping people in relationships find new language for things that had gone unsaid for years.
I've watched people discover that something they spent a lifetime judging about themselves made perfect sense once shame gave way to understanding.
And sometimes, the work is simply being a safe container in an overwhelming world.
There are many answers to be found here, and often many more questions.
But all along the way, there is healing.
I consider it an honor to be entrusted with the privilege of accompanying you on this sometimes precarious experience of being human.
Myth-Busting Therapy
Myth: It’s personal, it’s invasive, it’s awkward
YES! Not gonna lie, if you've never done it before, it can be weird at first. Telling a stranger the most vulnerable things about you and your family history? I get it. And I am particularly cognizant of those cultures for whom the concept of therapy is not only foreign but almost seen as an invasive betrayal of familial loyalties. Might there be a wobbly start? Possibly. But don't worry, we won't be strangers for long.
Myth: It means I’m weak
On the contrary! Therapy is ONLY for the Brave. The "weak" need not apply (and usually don't). To be human is to be flawed and vulnerable. That goes for you and every person in your life. Let's share our humanness and vulnerabilities and courageously lean forward in the direction of a better life.
Myth: I already tried it. It didn’t work for me.
Had a previous negative experience with therapy? Please don't give up! Feeling connected to someone is a mysterious crapshoot! Please don't let not vibing with one therapist, or perhaps feeling unsafe or unheard in a previous therapeutic experience permanently color you on the possibility of healing. If at first you don’t succeed…try, try again!!
Myth: It’s going to make things worse.
It can get messy and painful and often gets worse before it gets better; that part is true. But the possibility of a more peaceful, contented life, greater personal understanding, more harmonious relationships, and reaching your full potential is priceless.
If the scale is slowly tipping for you in the direction of therapy, give me a call, and let's talk about your reservations.
Credentials
MA, LMFT #141092
Pepperdine | Graduate School of Education & Psychology: MA in Clinical Psychology with Emphasis in Marriage & Family Therapy
Have a question or want to schedule a session?
Reach out today!
Credentials
.png)
.png)
