Julia Friend

Psychotherapist for Individuals

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Julia is a holistic therapist passionate about helping patients harness their strengths, build healthier relationships, recover from trauma, and live a more aligned life. She believes the key to an effective therapeutic relationship is trust, open communication, and collaboration.

In addition to a Psychodynamic approach, Julia integrates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Client-Centered Therapy. Above all, she is committed to tailoring her approach to each individual and finding what works best for every patient.

Julia takes pride in creating a safe and empathic environment that empowers patients in their therapeutic journey. She emphasizes the importance of relationships—romantic, familial, and social—in shaping emotional development and life experiences. Her goal is to equip patients with tools to understand and learn from lived experiences, fostering a stronger sense of inner peace and authenticity.

Before her graduate studies, Julia worked as a leadership consultant, helping companies and teams improve collaboration through organizational psychology–backed interventions. She also held research positions in social psychology, clinical psychology, and neuroscience labs, which contribute to her integrative approach. Currently, Julia also tutors middle and high school students in executive functioning skills.

In addition to her strong foundation of mental health counseling through her training at Teachers College, Columbia University, Julia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology from Harvard University.

Julia Friend

Work Experience

Gotham Psychotherapy – Psychotherapist (2025 – Present)

Smarten Up – Part-time Tutor (2024 - Present)

McChrystal Group – Senior Associate (2022 - 2024)

Quadrant Strategies – Consultant (2019 - 2021)

Harvard Advising Programs Office – Peer Advising Fellow (2016 and 2019)

Education

Teachers College, Columbia University – Master of Education in Mental Health Counseling and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology

Harvard University – Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology