ABOUT ME
Julie Spencer Rankin, MA, LPCC, NCC
I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor (KY#104797) and a National Board Certified Counselor (NCC#201155). I am a psychotherapist and life coach in private practice.
I received my Masters in Counseling from Marymount University in Arlington, VA. I was Senior Counselor for Clinical Operations at the US Department of Health and Human Services Counseling Center. While working in DC I specialized in trauma, stress management, and peak performance. I designed and implemented the first ever Stress Reduction Lab for the federal government, and did extensive counseling with survivors of the Murrah Federal Building bombing in Oklahoma City, and the 9-11 World Trade Center and Pentagon disasters. In addition, I was an executive coach, trainer, and psychological consultant.
As a therapist I work face to face with individuals, couples, and families in the beautiful bluegrass region of central Kentucky. I help my clients get in touch with themselves, resolve their difficulties, and live happier lives. As a life coach I work with clients across the US and abroad. I help my clients figure out what’s important, how to achieve it, and how to create lives they really love.
I am also a writer and speaker. I publish a daily thought that is read around the globe, and speak on a variety of subjects related to health, happiness, and success. I believe in the power of words to facilitate clarity, order, and meaning. I am dedicated to creating those elements for my clients and readers.
MY STORY
It is said that life happens on a winding road, full of unexpected twists and turns. My life is no different, and my story tells that tale.
My first career was in acting. I earned a B.A. in Acting from West Virginia University and completed post-graduate training at The Juilliard School in NYC. I performed on stage and screen and loved discovering the inner world of every character I played. Little did I know acting was preparing me for becoming a therapist. As an actress, I stepped in another person’s shoes to see the world through their eyes. As a therapist, I do the same.
My second career was in fashion. I owned stores in NY, CT, and FL, helping women of all ages look and feel better. As time passed, however, I found myself drawn less to what my customers wore and more to the stories they carried. I watched them battle cancer, lose loved ones, and fight anxiety and depression. Those experiences awakened my lifelong interest in psychology, and ultimately revealed my calling.
My father died when I was 32. I was devastated, and went into therapy. Sitting in a quiet space, receiving complete concern and acceptance, I was able to go deep within myself in order to understand and make meaning of my loss. That experience changed my life, and I immediately recognized the power of it. I returned to school to become a therapist - and have never looked back.
It is the purpose of my life’s work to create the same space for others. There is always a way forward in life. It is my honor to help my clients find that way.
MY EXPERTISE AND APPROACH
As a therapist, I work with individuals and couples facing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma, addiction, relationship conflict, infidelity, parenting, and major life transitions. I draw from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), and psychodynamic approaches to select methods that best fit a client’s unique needs.
As a life coach, I help people move from feeling overwhelmed or stuck to living with greater clarity and purpose. I work with professionals, entrepreneurs, artists, business owners, and private individuals navigating stress, life challenges, life decisions, and work-life balance. Drawing from resilience, peak performance, and sports psychology, I help clients identify meaningful goals and create practical strategies for achieving them.
My approach is person-centered, mindfulness-based, and deeply collaborative. I believe you are the expert of your life, but it’s my job to help you bring a gentle curiosity to your experience now, in order to better understand yourself. Together we will look beyond your problems or symptoms to discover the patterns shaping your experience. As those patterns become clear, new possibilities will emerge. You will be able to make better choices and begin a new chapter in the story of your life.
MY BELIEFS, VALUES, AND MISSION
I believe you are unique. There is not (and never will be) anyone like you. As such, your issues are unique. I don’t believe there is one version of anxiety, depression, or ADHD. There is only YOUR version, and that’s the one that matters to you. You are like a quilt, and it is my job to help you discover your pattern. Once done, the pieces of your life can be better arranged.
I place a high value on empathy. I must walk in your shoes to understand you and help you move forward. I value nonjudgment. You require safety to come to know, understand, and express yourself. I respect your autonomy. It is my role to guide and support you, not dictate to you or control your choices. I believe in being authentic. If I don’t, you can’t trust me - and trust is everything in our work together.
Insight can begin with reading a blog post or book, or listening to a podcast. But lasting change happens when insight becomes personal, part of the way you think, feel, and act. My mission is simple: I want you to know yourself better than ever before. I will walk beside you as you come to understand your story and discover your patterns. Together we’ll create meaningful, lasting change - inside the life you already live, until it becomes the life you come to love.
MY PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS
I am a member of the KENTUCKY COUNSELING ASSOCIATION (KCA), the AMERICAN COUNSELING ASSOCIATION (ACA), the AMERICAN PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION (APA), and the INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR RESILIENCE AND TRAUMA COUNSELING (IARTC).