Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Baron.
Hi Julie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
From a tearful middle schooler cowering in the counselor’s office, it seemed I was destined to help others. My own adolescent mental health journey in the 1980s—when therapy was far less common—was shaped by caring, insightful professionals who offered presence and guidance. In retrospect, those early experiences became my first training in the mental health field. Inspired by those professionals, and later by the teens and families I would serve, I have built a career spanning more than 30 years as a mental health professional.
I began my path with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Penn State University, followed by a Master’s in Social Work from Boston University. My professional experience includes community-based mental health centers, residential treatment facilities, home-based crisis stabilization programs, public and private schools, and private practice. Over the years, I have provided individual, group, and family therapy, as well as advocacy services.
In 2017, I founded Julie Baron and Associates, a private practice in Rockville, MD. I am proud to lead a team of highly trained, dedicated therapists who share a commitment to relational, evidence-based care. Together, we strive to engage, empower, and elevate teens, young adults, families, and individual adults toward positive change so they can achieve their goals and reach their full potential. Our evidence-based comprehensive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) program for teens and young adults has helped youth struggling with trauma, suicidality, and self-harm develop, practice, and integrate healthy coping skills and discover their “life worth living.”
Since 1998, beyond my clinical practice, I have engaged teens, parents, educators, and mental health practitioners through trainings on a variety of topics related to the treatment, education, and parenting of teens and young adults. Across all my work, I value the voices and perspectives of diverse communities—across life stages, cultures, genders, sexualities, religions, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, and neurodiversity. These experiences continue to strengthen my belief in shaping communities through respect, dignity, and connected relationships.
Reaching national and international audiences, my writing and speaking have allowed me to make resources widely accessible. As co-author of What Works With Teens: A Professional’s Guide to Engaging Authentically with Adolescents to Achieve Lasting Change, I share research, strategies, and real stories from teens that highlight the power of relational care. Through my articles, blog posts, and Psychology Today column, Parenting Teens Through Connection, I emphasize collaboration, engagement, and the importance of meaningful relationships in helping teens grow into their best selves.
In this next phase of my career, I am committed to guiding the next generation of therapists. I serve as Adjunct Faculty and External Field Placement Clinical Supervisor at Tulane University School of Social Work, mentoring graduate-level students. I also provide professional consultation and supervision for social workers seeking clinical licensure in Maryland. Supporting the growth of emerging professionals is one of the most rewarding parts of my work—especially when former clients have been inspired to pursue careers as therapists themselves.
At the core of all my endeavors—whether through practice, teaching, writing, or speaking—is a commitment to fostering human connection. I believe social connection is the foundation of healing, growth, and well-being.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Being a “wounded healer” is a common phenomenon for mental health professionals. I am no different. Early challenges with anxiety and depression, which at the time seemed a burden, became the foundation for a depth of understanding for others’ suffering. These experiences along with years of education and training have allowed me to help countless others not only to endure, but thrive in the face of their own struggles.
I chose social work as a field of study for its fundamental core beliefs of service, social justice, the dignity and worth of the person, the importance of human relationships, integrity, and competence. Working with disadvantaged populations and youth struggling with mental illness, social injustices, and systems designed to oppress required the ability to hold and feel people’s immense pain while also being a beacon of hope. Social Work professionals require incredible self-awareness, patience, and their own personal supports to make a difference in the lives of others. Many social work positions were also not highly financially rewarding for most of my career. Through the challenges, the human connection payoffs were well worth it. To see others grow, progress, and find their way to a meaningful future is the best motivation. Later in my career I have been fortunate to build a private practice, pursue entrepreneurship, support the careers of many other practitioners and continue to serve families in need.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The beauty of choosing a social work career has been the great pleasure of being able to have it all over more than 30 years in the field. In my clinical practice, I have never stopped learning through professional training, the wisdom and growth of clients, and in consultation with talented colleagues. I have been able to engage my creativity through my writings and thought leadership, which I continue to cultivate. I have worked in mental health and education systems, been employed in group practice, and took on entrepreneurship in recent years, allowing me to learn a new career as a business leader. The evolution of my career also allowed me to raise my family, navigating the more personal challenges of parenting 2 boys (teens through COVID), now young adults. I have been truly grateful to be in a field where I have been able to have it all over decades in the field.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I am proud to have built a private practice with a team of experienced and dedicated mental health professionals who are available to treat teens, adults through the life span and families, either in person or virtually from our counseling offices located in Rockville, MD. Our therapists collectively hold licenses to treat clients based in MD, DC, VA, NY, PA, and FL. Our comprehensive DBT program serves teens and young adults coping with ongoing crisis and offers a practical way forward to a “life worth living.” Our team values collaboration with other professional disciplines and offers professional trainings in a variety of venues.
In efforts to offer mental health and parenting resources to a greater audience, I am dedicated to my speaking and writings in various publications and as a featured blogger in my Psychology Today column Parenting Teens Through Connection, which I hope people will view and find a useful resource. I am also working on an upcoming publication for parents of teens and emerging adults with proven relational practices for raising emotionally healthy and accountable adults. Information about my resources for parents can be found on my social media.
Pricing:
- Julie Baron and Associates is an out-of-network provider, thus we do not participate in insurance panels. Clients are provided a superbill and pay for services in full monthly. This document contains the necessary information for submitting a claim to your insurance company to receive any available out-of-network benefits. Our fees range from $175-$300 and in some instances we are able to offer a sliding scale fee.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.juliebaronandassociates.com and www.whatworkswithteens.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parentingteensthruconnection/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/juliebaronandassociates/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-baron-589a03173/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/parenting-teens-through-connection
