About Us
Hello!
Julie Kennedy, MA, LMHC is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Certified Gentle Sleep Coach, trained and certified by Kim West, LCSW-C (a.k.a, "The Sleep Lady®").
Julie is one of the First 50 graduates of the 2011 Gentle Sleep Coaching Program, and her prior education includes a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington State University and Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from Gonzaga University.
After a successful and rewarding career as a school counselor in Spokane, she "retired" from her job to start a family. After personally sleep training her first son, successfully sleep shaping her twins, and helping many friends and family with their children, she realized how helpful a sleep consultant can be. Julie decided to become a Gentle Sleep Coach to help parents regain control over their children's sleep habits and start enjoying more healthy sleep themselves.
With over ten years as a successful Sleep Coach, Julie has positively impacted countless families and looks forward to coaching parents and children to help improve their lives through better sleep.
Some of my GSC training topics included:
Basic counseling and child development
Sleep science and behavioral modification techniques to help parents of children age 0 to 6 years old.
Secure attachment theory
Support for the breastfeeding mother
The training also consisted of lectures from top specialists, including:
Postpartum Depression from Dr. Shoshana Bennett, author and leading specialist on Postpartum Depression
Medical Conditions and Sleep Apnea in Children led by Dr. Lewis Kass, Director of Children’s Sleep Center
Sensory Processing Disorders and Sleep by Jodi Jennings, OTLR
Temperament and Sleep by Helen Neville, BS, RN And much more!
The GSC Program also includes an exclusive advanced training specifically focused on how to gently work with babies 0-5 months of age.
This specialty training is designed to give Gentle Sleep Coaches the knowledge, education and all the tools and resources they need to successfully work with families of newborns through 5 months of age in a safe, healthy and developmentally appropriate manner.
Some of the curriculum training topics include:
In-depth knowledge of the importance of attachment and infant mental health
The sleep science behind the first six months of life
What special considerations need to be taken when working with and supporting families during this delicate period.
Specialized instruction on how to evaluate families in the first six months
Guidance on how to assess when the baby is ready for sleep coaching based on current research and evidence-based strategies
Review of gentle sleep solutions and strategies that are developmentally appropriate, breastfeeding and attachment friendly and promote a solid foundation for sleep learning and long-term healthy sleep patterns.
As part of my Mental Health License I must take continuing education courses. Some of the courses I have taken include:
Attachment & Attuned Parenting
Assessment in Early Childhood
Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents: Recognizing & Treating the Emerging Epidemic
Anxiety Treatment Techniques that Really Work
Comprehensive Child Therapy: Practical Approaches, Treatments and Interventions -The Healing Power of Sleep
Outside of my coaching business I enjoy hanging out with my family, hiking, spinning, and yoga. We also enjoy family RV trips during the summer months.
