Meet Juli Agajanian: Licensed Psychotherapist & Certified Eating Disorders Specialist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Juli Agajanian and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Juli, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
As an only child, my love language has always been quality time. I
love getting to know people, connecting with them, and laughing
(loudly) with them. When thinking about my dream career,
psychotherapist was just the obvious answer. As a therapist, I provide
an environment that is non-intimidating and friendly so that my
clients feel comfortable opening up. When a client opens up in a
therapy session and is able to feel heard and validated, it just feels
like a magical and transformative moment. After doing therapy for
almost 20 years now, I can often help to articulate how my clients are
feelings in a way that makes them say “wow, it’s like you’re reading
my mind”. Being able to “get someone” on that level is so rewarding
for me. I also love laughing with my clients and incorporating humor
in therapy whenever I can!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
All throughout high school, my friends would call me “Mama Juli” because I enjoyed giving them advice on how to handle their problems, communicate better with their parents and friends, etc. I was always kind of an “old soul”. I remember when I was in college, they had a meeting with all Psychology majors to tell us that if we thought we were going to make good money as a psychotherapist, we were wrong. I remember not being phased by that, since money was never my motivation to get into this career. Like many others, I wanted a career that was rewarding and gave a sense of purpose. After graduate school, I worked for a few years with adolescents with behavioral struggles which was difficult and required a lot of crisis intervention. One day, I was watching a documentary about an eating disorder treatment center called “Thin”. I was so enthralled by the deep psychological work that was being done there. It seemed so transformative in so many ways. I immediately contacted the nearest eating disorder treatment center near me and applied. It is in that setting where I truly learned how to be a great therapist. It was definitely not easy at first because learning how to work with patients with eating disorder is NOT necessarily intuitive. It is a skill you need to hone by a lot of trial and error.

What I’ve learned along the way is that even though many of us suffer from imposter syndrome, I’ve learned that I have to remind myself that I have my own gifts and skills that I bring to the table. I’ve learned that when I get past the self-doubting voice and put myself out there (like when I volunteer to put on a national training for other therapists), people appreciate my experience, perspective, and expertise.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I have lived in the LA area my entire life and absolutely LOVE it and never plan on leaving (except maybe to retire in Palm Springs..) I would take them to see a musical at the Pantages and also plan to see a concert at the historic Troubadour. We could do a night of dancing at the Abbey. I’d have to show them the Farmer’s Market and maybe even try to attend a taping of “The Price is Right”. We’d need a great beach day Laguna Beach. Brunch at Blu Jam cafe on Melrose and dinner at Spago in Beverly Hills. I’d also love to take them for a sunset helicopter tour of the entire LA area from Hangar 21 helicopters. Highly recommend for tourists and locals! Then we’d end their trip by renting a fabulous midcentury modern home with a sparkling pool in Palm Springs for the weekend!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’d like to recognize Buck Runyan and Jennifer Gorman who were amazing mentors to me in learning about how to best work with clients with eating disorders.

Website: www.juliagajanian.com

Instagram: juliagajanian_lmft