Julie Sweeney (she/her)

Registered Social Service Worker & Therapist

Photo of Julie, a white woman with shoulder length grey hair and glasses. She is wearing a black dress with a red shawl. Julie self-identifies as fat.

Areas of Interest

  • Body Image

  • Self-esteem

  • Disordered Eating / Eating disorders

  • Shame/Body Shame

  • Stress

  • Anxiety

  • Relationships (parent/child; intimate partner; sibling or other)

  • ADHD

Julie supports teens (13+) and adults.

Education

  • Diploma in Applied Psychology and Counselling 

  • Diploma in Social Service Work 

  • Hons. Bachelor of Family and Community Social Services 

Julie Sweeney is a white, self-identified fat, cis-gender woman with lived experience of mental health and body shame struggles as well as fibromyalgia and Type 2 diabetes. She works from a client-centered, anti-oppressive and social justice-oriented perspective specializing in supporting clients in finding freedom for themselves.

 Registered with the OCSWSSW as a social service worker, Julie offers openness, honesty, and a willingness to be part of your journey in a way best suited to your needs. Helping clients feel less alone in their struggles, Julie offers clients the opportunity to develop new skills and ways of thinking. Outside of her specialty with body image and self-esteem, she also works with clients experiencing anxiety, shame, and relationship issues, focusing on self-care and changing negative coping habits.

 Julie enjoys helping people become aware, gain insight, and move into action to create lasting change. You would be a fit for her work if you’re interested in the change process and taking action toward making space for new energy in your life.

“I have been there,” Julie explains. “My personal story is what led me to this work, and I look forward to sharing when appropriate.” She works with a client-first approach and meets each individual where they are at. “I believe that we are all capable of change if that is what we want for our lives.”

 Further, Julie is passionate about public speaking. She is the founder and host of the Braving Body Shame Online Conference that happened in 2020 and 2021 and she’s spoken at NEDICs 7th Biennial Body Image and Self Esteem Conference 2019 in Toronto ON, International Weight Stigma Conference 2019 in London ON and at the Harm Reduction Task Force event in Belleville ON, among others.