Dr. Julianne Skrovan Massimo
Ph.D., LPCC-S, PMH-C, NADD-CC

Hello, I’m a Northeast Ohio-based Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor and Supervisor (LPCC-S) and founder of the Austin Counseling Center for Women and Families. I earned my Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision and Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from the University of Akron. I graduated from Baldwin Wallace University with a B.A. in Business and Psychology in 1987. I’m honored to be one of the first clinicians in Ohio with a specialized certification in Perinatal Mental Health (PMH-C), from Postpartum Support International. I am also certified in Interpersonal Therapy (IPT-A) at the supervisory level. Along with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), IPT is an evidence-based psychotherapy effective for treatment of postpartum depression, perinatal mood disorders, depression, anxiety, mood disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related disorders for individuals across the lifespan.  I am a part-time professor at the University of Akron teaching graduate courses in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program in the School of Counseling. 

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My approach to therapy is Integrative and uses evidence-based and trauma-informed treatments tailored to best fit your needs, concerns, and goals. With its origins in humanistic and existential philosophies, my approach emphasizes the importance of providing a warm, non-judgmental environment.  I’m also well versed in treatment approaches that lead us into action quickly to reduce distress (IPT, CBT, etc.) I believe that our desire for having mutually satisfying relationships with others is key for good emotional health and is often at the root of distress. 

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My professional journey began 30 years ago when working in the Psychology Department for a community agency that provided mental health and behavioral supports for children and adults with intellectual disabilities and their families.  During that time, I heard countless stories from individuals who had been marginalized, been victims of trauma and abuse, and from others who simply were not entrusted to make choices in their own lives. I had the opportunity to provide individual therapy, behavioral consultations, and partner with many community entities (hospitals, law enforcement, schools and universities, and other community agencies) to help empower individuals to live a meaningful, happy life. It’s in this early work that I first became passionate about advocating for those whose voice isn’t always heard or valued.  It was also during this point in time that this mission became quite personal and greatly influenced my therapeutic approach.

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Throughout my career I ‘ve taught undergraduate and graduate courses in psychology, education, and counseling part-time at Notre Dame College, South University, Walsh University, and the University of Akron.  As a Counselor Educator by training, I’ve worked toward advancing the counseling profession by training new counselors, presenting at numerous state and national professional conferences, providing ongoing continuing education to psychologists and counselors, conducting in-services, and publishing research in the areas of perinatal health, therapy for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, counselor training and remediation, counselor supervision, and Interpersonal Therapy.

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It’s been over 13 years that I’ve been working as a therapist in general private practice and community mental health settings providing individual and family counseling for adults and children.  In addition, I served as Assistant Clinical Director overseeing psychiatry, counselors, social workers/case managers, and support staff in a large community mental health agency.  In the many stories I’ve heard from clients over the years, one universal theme has prevailed. No matter their background; race, ethnicity, culture, physical or mental ability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, etc., all people tell a variation on a basic fundamental story. This universal theme centers around wanting to have good relationships with others, to reconnect, to be their true selves, and to be happy living a life free from distress.

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My clinical work has focused primarily on grief, moving through unimaginable loss, counseling individuals with disabilities, anxiety, depression, and perinatal mental health, including postpartum depression and perinatal mood and psychotic disorders.  I have heard from women, and other individuals from historically less empowered or marginalized groups, whose stories and real experiences had been denied or silenced through society’s discomfort with these topics. It is for these individuals that I established the Austin Counseling Center for Women and Families in 2021. While the Austin Counseling Center is open to all individuals that want to begin today to reduce distress and improve their lives, the ACCWF was founded primarily to assist women and their partners, in their perinatal journey and struggles toward parenthood, or not.  Men can struggle from gender role stereotypes (views on fatherhood, what it means to be masculine) that often make it less likely to seek the mental health care they need. One in 10 new fathers also experiences postpartum depression. The Austin Counseling Center for Women and Families is for all those who seek to find their voice and to identify skills and strengths to embrace their own personal power.