Julie Barrie

It is common to dread contacting a psychologist.

- What should I say? Do I want to be understood? Are my problems like everyone else's? And can I get help?

I have great respect for everyone who comes to therapy and wants to work on things they find difficult, whether it concerns themselves or someone they love. It is a strength to deal with what hurts, and often what necessary for us to experience more joy and vitality in our lives. 

Our nervous system (head + body) works continuously to process and integrate everything we experience, while at the same time trying to protect us from pain and overwhelm. 

But often, over time, the body's protective system can become the very thing that maintains the disorder or creates symptoms. It is then that we can feel stuck and that repeated attempts to get better do not seem to work.

In relationships, it is common to get into negative spirals where both are stuck in each other's protection systems (for example, one becomes quiet and withdraws when something becomes difficult, while the other becomes more and more persistent). Over time, such dynamics can give rise to distance, loss of closeness and loneliness in the relationship. 

In therapy, we work to get hold of these protective strategies (which are often activated automatically and of which we are not aware), in order to access feelings, needs, memories or sides of us that have been closed down. Growth is therefore the word that I think best describes what we do in therapy, and therefore therapy can be experienced as so meaningful, important and vitalizing both for the clients and for the therapist who is allowed to participate and facilitate these processes. Symptoms, pain, stagnation in life or in a relationship can therefore be the first sign that an important growth or change process is underway if we dare to address it.  

I am a trained psychologist from the University of Oslo, and have an Intermediate in Developmental Psychology from the University of Oslo as well as a Bachelor in Communication from BI. 

I have also taken a 3.5-year further education in Intensive Dynamic Short-Term Therapy (ISTDP), which is a recognized treatment method that aims to change the underlying causal mechanisms of the ailments, as well as further education in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT) and further education in sexual health. 

I am constantly interested in further developing myself as a therapist, and regularly participate in courses and further education, in addition to the fact that every week I go for guidance with specialists in the methods I use, so that I ensure that I stay up-to-date and at all times get feedback on my work. 

 Please get in touch if there is anything you/you are wondering about, otherwise you are most welcome to my office on the 4th floor at Øvre Slottsgate 7.