We were lucky to catch up with Julia Stern Maurer, LCSW recently and have shared our conversation below.
Julia , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
I’d like to say that the biggest risks I ever took were getting married and having children but that was always my biggest motivator in everything that I have created. I always knew I wanted to fall in love and build a family but what I never knew was that I would truly be able to “have it all”.
When I met my husband in 2012, I was making ends meet by working in retail and taking small gigs as an actress. I graduated with my BFA in Theater in 2010 from California Institute of the Arts and my talents and skills surrounded theater and performance. I had a true love for developing characters, embodying their stories and living in their human behaviors. I loved discovering their motivations, articulating their feelings and stepping into their experiences.
As my relationship with my then- boyfriend grew, I loved watching him work. He had this beautiful routine in the morning that I envied. He had a daily commitment that brought him confidence in all areas of his life. I wanted that and I struggled to find that motivation to be a part of the world around me. I soon realized that acting as a profession was not for me and that I wanted to turn the world upside down and try something that brought me purpose, motivation and reason.
What did I love so much about acting? Human behavior. What field could I transition to that would bring me that purpose along with a stable financial future? So here comes the risk. I decided to go back to school to get my Master’s in Social Work. In 2013, I was accepted into USC’s MSW program. That passion and motivation grew for human behavior just as it had when I first stepped on stage as a 10 year old. I fell in love with research, writing and learning. I graduated in under 2 years by May 2015.
Shortly after, I became a School Site Social Worker in Lawndale, CA and worked directly with other site social workers with the purpose of providing free in school therapeutic support for children and families. The days were long and taxing but the reward was indescribable. I had found my calling.
I got married in May 2016 and had our first daughter in January 2018. I knew my commitment in the school setting was not attainable while raising my daughter while providing the appropriate time and support for the school. I worked part-time for non-profits and focused on my daughter’s development. By 2019, I was officially a licensed clinical social worker and ready to embark on the individual therapy route.
I joined a group practice where I provided psychotherapy for individuals and families. In March 2020, the pandemic provided Telehealth services to be a necessity. I fell in love with working from home. In June 2020, I had my second daughter and knew I wanted to maintain that work/life balance. I continued and still do practice Telehealth from my home. The group practice was kind and generous in allowing us to stay home and feel safe while providing consistent referrals.
In May 2022, I turned to my husband and said, “It’s time to start my own practice” to which he responded, “Let’s do it”.
So here we are. I have created Julia Stern Maurer, Licensed Clinical Social Worker, PC, which was established in June 2022. My practice is growing while I continue to work for the group practice. I have a beautiful home with the most beautiful souls who live inside.
I look back at who I was in 2012 and who and where I am now and smile. I smile for the risk I took. I smile for the encouragers along the way. I smile for my mentors, my family and me. It is true, if you find the motivation for change, you truly can “have it all”.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
see previous statement for the info.
I identify as a Solution Focused Psychotherapist who provide therapeutic services with a trauma informed lens. I provide services for individuals, families and couples. My goal as a therapist is to create a space where goals are envisioned and created and where I provide new tools and techniques to support the patient in not only reaching those goals but maintaining them.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start?
Funding my business was not as difficult as I envisioned it to be. I hired a lawyer who solely focuses on developing S-Corp for therapeutic practices. Once the lawyer completed all necessary documentation, I found a trustworthy EHR system and payment system. I was able to pay off all start up fees by 5 months in!
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
My practice with my patients is what has built my reputation. My patients sharing my name and colleagues sharing my name has been my best asset to my practice growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://juliasternmaurerlcsw.com
- Instagram: juliasternmaurerlcsw
- Linkedin: Julia Stern Maurer, LCSW
- Yelp: Julia Stern Maurer, LCSW
- Other: psychology today- Julia Stern Maurer, LCSW