JULISA ADAMS, MA, CHT
Lifelong student of consciousness
When I was 18 I had a near death experience from hypothermia while skiing, which opened me to spirituality and permanently changed me. From then on, I’ve been studying consciousness, including majoring in religious studies. I really wanted to understand the whole human experience, especially the event which changed my life and made me lose all fear of death. After graduating, I knew I wanted to make a career of not just understanding the inner world, but helping people to change, to heal, and to realize their potential as human beings. In 1989 I left Boulder and went to San Francisco to study at one of just a handful of graduate schools that integrated the spiritual, or Transpersonal dimension of the human experience into the healing process (CIIS). This led to working with altered states of consciousness, which led me to learn hypnotherapy. I have spent my whole adult life studying religions, mysticism, meditation, yoga, psychology and a wide range of aspects of physical and mental health.
I wrote my master’s thesis on a holistic model of treating adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse. This began my long exploration of the dynamics of body-centered presence, versus dissociation and other defense mechanisms which limit awareness. As I deepened my study of trauma, I went on to learn EMDR and to integrate it with hypnotherapy and Hakomi, a body-centered psychotherapy. Soon I found myself modifying EMDR to make it more organic and fluid, which flowed naturally into learning Brainspotting.
Over the years I noticed a strong connection between unresolved trauma and body/mind disorders such as addictions, depression, autoimmune disorders, weight issues, insomnia and chronic pain. It made sense to me that stuck emotional pain in the body would, over time, become physical problems. I also knew I would get sick, myself, if I didn’t learn how to deal with my own embodied trauma. I grew up in an alcoholic family, and experienced abuse and neglect. This close correlation has now been clearly documented by the famous Kaiser Permanente study of “Adverse Childhood Experiences(ACE)” and long term health outcomes.
Along with my focus on integrating all the different parts of ourselves in terms of healing, I also found myself naturally integrating the insights from the different spiritual traditions. In the early 90’s I got involved with the Dances of Universal Peace and started working on how to bring together different perspectives on the deepest truths with psychology and healing. I lead various workshops and retreats on topics such as the sacred and the shadow in women’s bodies, the inner meanings of the Beatitudes (a distillation of the teachings of Jesus), and Eckhart Tolle’s teachings on presence, among other things.
I have been with my husband since 2007, living in Gunbarel, right outside of Boulder, with our dog and cats. I love nature, biking, SCUBA, gardening, yoga, dance and meditation. I love travel and getting to know people from other cultures. I've been to many spiritual retreats, and at a Sufi retreat in Maui, I fell in love with that island.
Maui has been a crucial element in my own health recovery journey. Working to get to the root of my main health challenge, insomnia, caused me to take my lifelong desire to find my ideal natural healer, and learn everything I could, to try become that healer for myself. I have been in daily study of the microbiome, the endocrine system, autoimmunity, detox, liver and gut healing, superfoods, herbs, essential oils and so on. I love being able to help my clients navigate that journey on all levels. One thing I learned, is how important sunshine and swimming in the ocean and breathing clean air are for my health. So I now work from Maui by zoom.
I did get to root cause resolution of my insomnia, which is a combination of multiple mold exposures, heavy metals and some other factors. I have been following the growing field of holistic health and detoxing for many years are am quite current with addressing mold illness and other environmental toxins.
Training and Experience
1987
BA, Religious Studies and Sociology University of Colorado
1989-1991
Attended The California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco in the Integral Counseling Psychology MA program, studying traditional, Transpersonal and holistic counseling
1990
Training in hypnotherapy at Heartwood Institute
1991-1994
MA, Counseling Psychology
Vermont College of Norwich University (now a part of the Union Institute.)
1993-94
Internship at the Boulder School of Massage Therapy; counseling massage students
assistant teacher at The Transpersonal Hypnotherapy Institute
1994
Training in Hakomi therapy with Ron Kurtz
1994-1998
Training in Process Work or Dream-body therapy
1998-2014
Leading retreats combining psychology with body-centered spiritual practice (The Dances of Universal Peace)
1998-2004
Training with Atum O’Kane in a Sufi/Jungian model for working with the psyche and soul
2003
EMDR I & II
2004
Training with Russ Hudson in the Enneagram
Trained with Byron Katie in “The Work,” a form of cognitive therapy, Trained with Devi Records in Hakomi therapy for couples
2005
Reiki I Certification
Trained with Mila Ahu and Ann Laney, Diamond Heart teachers, in working with the inner critic, Trained in Diamond Heart Work
2006
Reiki II Certification,
Training with Peter Levine in Somatic Experiencing
ongoing Work with NeuroScience in Targeted Amino Acid Therapy, a natural treatment for depression, anxiety, ADD, PMS, weight issues
Self study in nutritional and herbal medicine (ongoing)
Training with David Grand in Brainspotting, Levels I & II
2009
Advanced topics in Brainspotting with Lisa Schwartz
Training in NVC with Robert Gonzales
Monthly Brainspotting discussion group with Pie Frie (2009-2011)
2010
Body Oriented Psychotherapy, Trauma Work and Gestalt with Jaylynne Chase-Jacobsen, L.C.S.W., and Betty Cannon, PhD. Training in EFT (The Emotional Freedom Technique) ongoing Self-study in Functional Medicine, particularly the work of Dr. Hyman
2011
Training with Susan Aposhyan in Somatic Psychology
2011-2014
Studying Vajryana Buddhism with Dr. Reggie Ray
2013-2014
Developing and teaching DanceSpotting, a model for making Brainspotting available in a workshop setting including dance, spiritual practices, group process and play
2014
Studying Internal Family Systems Therapy
2014-present
participating in ongoing training through the National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM). This includes programs in brain science, treating trauma, mindfulness meditation, and other cutting-edge topics in mind-body medicine.
2016
Studying Emotionally Focused Couples’ Therapy, a method of getting below habitual patterns of relating and access the deeper feelings, hopes and needs in couples, and helping them speak from there.
2017
Working with Reiki in a deeper way, including channeling, intuitive readings
2019
Training with Pat Ogden in embodiment and shame
Deepening training in the microbiome, detox, food sensitivities, auto-immunity, cancer, Hashimoto's, insomnia, histamine sensitivity, candida as well as herbs and supplements
2020-2023
Deep dive into mold illness, and healing the nervous system.