Julie's story unfolds at the intersection of faith, identity, and self-compassion. Raised in a culturally and religiously conservative South Asian household, she grew up surrounded by clear definitions of what was right and wrong — spoken and unspoken rules that guided how one should live and belong. But how Julie was authentically wired didn't always fit those expectations. The tension between who she was and who she was told to be became an early internal struggle, one she learned to carry as if it were her fault. When Julie was ten years old, she lost her father in a tragic car accident that also involved her entire family. That loss created a rupture in family life — one that was never fully named, only absorbed. The family's way of coping became rooted in faith and community support, drawing strength from Christian teachings. While Julie deeply valued the beauty of faith, she also found herself questioning why prayer alone didn't always bring comfort. Each time she struggled, she thought she must not be doing enough, not believing enough, not honouring God enough. As life went on, those early beliefs resurfaced through new challenges. After marriage, Julie faced infertility — an experience that brought grief, isolation, and shame. She describes the pain of believing something was wrong with her, that she had somehow failed spiritually or personally. Surrounded by well-meaning voices telling her to "rely more on faith," she began to internalize guilt and self-blame. Eventually, Julie reached out for professional help and was encouraged to begin therapy — her first experience with talk therapy. There, she began exploring the grief of unrealized motherhood and the impact it had on her mental health, faith, and sense of purpose. She speaks openly about the destabilizing period of not knowing how to reconcile her loss with her spirituality, and how learning to connect with herself relationally became a turning point. Today, Julie continues her journey of growth and self-understanding. Through vulnerability, faith, and self-compassion, she is finding balance between her roots and her authentic voice. Her msg to the listeners of the show is: whatever you are experiencing or navigating is valid, have compassion with yourself; wherever you are stuck you have good reasons for that, more compassion you practice, the more you lean into authenticity and presence; engage presence in this way and it accelerates growth. Guest Bio: Julie is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Connecticut and New York with advanced training in trauma-informed care, mindfulness, and evidence-based modalities such as Emotionally Focused Therapy, CBT, and DBT. She holds degrees from New York University, Rutgers University, and Seattle Pacific University, and brings over a decade of experience in both the fast-paced technology sector and clinical practice. Julie has supported individuals, couples, and families around issues including anxiety, depression, disordered eating, trauma, and premarital counseling. Inspired in part by her own lived experiences, Julie has a deep passion for walking alongside women and couples navigating fertility challenges, racial trauma, and life transitions. She has facilitated support groups for sexual abuse recovery and divorce grief, and she remains committed to creating safe, inclusive spaces where stories of struggle can be met with care and compassion. Today, Julie makes her home in Greenwich, CT, with her family and two rescue pups. URL for shoutout: https://resolve.org/get-help/support-groups/ RESOLVE – an organization that offers fertility support through groups and resources available to individuals at little to no cost. Where to find me: Website: Website juliehalltherapy.com Instagram: julievhall01 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/juliehalltherapy/ Email: [email protected]