Julia Xiao-Rodriguez – Youth and Family Institute

Julia Xiao-Rodriguez, MA

ASSOCIATE PROFESSIONAL CLINICAL COUNSELOR

Clinical Expertise
Julia provides supervised evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapies (CBTs) for children, adolescents, and young adults with complex diagnostic presentations, including co-occurring anxiety, mood, personality, substance use and eating disorders. She specializes in delivering Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)—including skills groups and phone coaching—for high-risk, suicidal, and self-harming youth and their families. She is particularly interested in walking alongside parents as they navigate parenting challenges and collaboration with providers.
Julia is committed to providing identity-informed, culturally responsive, and values-based interventions to help facilitate self-awareness and personal growth.

Education
Yangtze University, BA
Northwestern University, MS

Training
Julia earned her Master of Arts at Northwestern University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, in the Child and Adolescent Track. During her time at Northwestern, she completed a clinical internship at the Pepperdine University Counseling Center where she provided individual and group therapy services in English and Mandarin. She worked with young adults suffering from symptoms of depression, anxiety, PTSD, and emerging borderline personality disorder (BPD). At Pepperdine and Northwestern, Julia received training in brief psychodynamic counseling, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). During the pandemic, she was also involved in social media outreach efforts through the Pepperdine Counseling Center (e.g., self-compassion meditation). Julia completed her Intensive Foundational DBT Training, with an Adolescent and Family Emphasis, taught by Dr. Alec Miller.
At YFI, she is currently accruing her clinical training hours for licensure as a Professional Clinical Counselor (LPCC) under the supervision of Dr. Marjorie Charlop, a licensed clinical psychologist.

Research
Julia’s research interests are in mindfulness and cross-cultural adaptations of empirically supported interventions. She has collaborated on projects with faculty at Peking University, Fudan University, and Duke University. Julia has co-authored 4 scientific articles published in peer-reviewed journals and made more than a dozen scholarly conference presentations.

Teaching
In 2018 and 2019, Julia co-taught a popular summer course titled Peer-Counseling at Peking University in Beijing, China. She has also co-taught and provided translation for several multi-day DBT intensive trainings for mental health professionals at Shenzhen Kangning Hospital, Mianyang Sichuan 3rd Hospital, Peking University 6th Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Macau Psychological Association, Hong Kong Psychological Society, Chinese Psychological Society [Clinical Psychology Working Group], and Nepal Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. She has also been an invited guest lecturer at Claremont Graduate University, Pitzer College and the Pitzer Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program.
In her role as board member for the Malibu Special Education Foundation, Julia developed specialized knowledge in California special education regulations and individualized education program (IEP) procedures and 504 Plans. Being committed to community education and training, he has also provided consultation to schools and non-profit organizations.

General Approach
Julia’s approach to therapy is collaborative, rooted in an appreciation for individual and cultural differences, and builds upon client strengths to support them in reaching their own goals. Her interventions aim to reduce distress through self-reflection, openness, and enhanced connection to values and meaning. She believes individuals often possess the solutions to their own challenges, but sometimes need support to access their internal capacity to develop skills for current and future success.

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Our team provides comprehensive DBT and other evidence-based treatments to help make positive changes in the lives of children, young adults, and their families.

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