Owner + Clinician
Julie Thatcher, LMHCA
she/her/hers
​​
Clinical Interests:
Addiction recovery, anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship conflict, boundaries, disordered eating in the context of addiction, recovery support, adolescent development, life transitions, EMDR therapy, couples therapy, 12-step integration, family systems, and personal empowerment.
Practice Location(s):
Tacoma Office and Offering Telehealth
Practicing Under the Supervision of:
Get to Know Julie
Julie Thatcher (she/her) is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA) at Northwest Relationships, known for her warm presence, deep curiosity, and active, engaged style in the therapy room. Julie works with individuals, couples, and adolescents, supporting clients navigating anxiety, depression, addiction, trauma, disordered eating in the context of addiction, and relationship challenges. She is especially passionate about helping clients shift painful patterns, build emotional safety, and create meaningful change in their relationships and lives.
Julie is EMDRIA-trained in EMDR and currently pursuing certification. She is also completing her certification in Relational Life Therapy (RLT), and integrates a blend of integrative, person-centered, CBT, and experiential approaches. Grounded in evidence-based practice and guided by a client-centered philosophy, Julie brings a balance of compassion, clarity, and lovingly direct feedback. Clients often describe her as energetic, thoughtful, and highly attuned.
Before becoming a therapist, Julie built a rich and varied professional life—including work in teaching, academic advising, academic administration, school counseling, and research administration. Having lived, worked, and learned in communities across the United States—from New York to California, Iowa to Arkansas—Julie brings a deeply informed sense of cultural humility and an ability to connect with people from many different walks of life. She is also well-versed in 12-step recovery communities and applies both clinical training and lived experience to her work with addiction and behavior change.
Julie is a long-time LGBTQIA+ ally and a parent who has supported her own child through gender-affirming care. She is also someone who understands relational repair on a personal level. Julie and her partner have built a strong, enduring marriage over many years—weathering divorce proceedings, blending families, parenting through crisis, navigating major life transitions, and continuously choosing to strengthen their connection. She brings this lived understanding of resilience, conflict, and relational rebuilding into her work with couples.
Outside of the therapy room, Julie enjoys daily meditation, jogging, hiking, Lagree workouts, and time spent with friends and family. She loves live performance of all kinds—whether it’s a tiny club, local theater, or the opera house—and draws inspiration from experiencing creativity in community.