We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Julie Radlauer Doerfler a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

What I am really passionate about these days is sharing research in an approachable and easy to digest way so that people can make changes to their lives. I believe that for many people, we have the ability to control our level of happiness through our everyday actions.

I began my career as a mental health counselor working in non-profit. While I knew that we were helping children and families, I was frustrated that our services and support did not leave lasting benefits. This caused me to go back to school to get my Doctor of Public Health, where I focus more on the prevention of mental health conditions. I have conducted research studies to understand how children and families want to have their needs met, which resulted in my current mission. I work with individuals, organizations, systems, and communities to focus on their social influences of mental health. These are the social aspects of our lives, that we have control over, that can improve our level of happiness. I share this research widely through writing, speaking , research, and program implementation. I am passionate about teaching people actual tools and techniques that they may use to support their own happiness as well as the happiness of those around them.

Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?

Honestly, I don’t think being an entrepreneur is ever a smooth road, and the more I speak with people like me, the more I realize how challenging it is for many. Relatively speaking, I have been very fortunate to be where I am in such a short period of time. I attribute that to working in the field of mental health for so long prior to opening up my own business. Additionally, what has really made my transition so smooth has been access to social capital. I am a member of a community of women business owners, and we work together to support each other along the way. I’m so grateful for this social capital because anytime I have a question or am frustrated about something, there are people I can turn to. Social Capital is one of the social influences for this reason and I know it helps me every day. My advice to people starting out is to be intentional about identifying what you may need to be successful, and then figure out who in your circle can provide that support.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen a different profession or specialty?

Absolutely, I think that Mental Health is so incredibly valuable. I am grateful that I have years of experience and the ability to share this knowledge as we are going through this global mental health crisis. When I started working in the field there was incredible stigma and people were not comfortable event talking about mental health. These days, so many people can relate, that it is really an everyday conversation. I think that being in the field for so long has given me the tools to share this knowledge with others so that we may support each other in this journey.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://collectivelyus.org/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/collectively_us/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100077717883180
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-radlauer-doerfler-drph-lmhc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@collectively-us

Image Credits

Robert Gordon