Julie Chung Makes an Impact through the Power of Connection

Human connection is at the core of Julie Chung’s work as care coordinator at Beyond Blindness. As a registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, she pours her energy into keeping the community connected to both the organization and one another.

She works with clients ranging from younger kids up to adults, focusing on emotional identification and social skills. By helping kids learn to regulate and recognize that emotions are not bad or scary to experience, Julie believes she can support their mental health with long-lasting impact.

One of Julie’s passions is the Beyond Blindness peer group initiative, which she runs under the supervision of counseling services manager Dalit Blecher, LMFT. Peer groups not only strengthen interpersonal skills development and relationship-building, but also teach valuable life skills through even the simplest activities like sewing and crafts. One of her goals in progress is to expand the teen peer group to deepen bonds among youth at an age where emotional connection is so important.

This multifaceted role puts Julie in a position to directly impact the families at Beyond Blindness, something she feels is a personal calling. She recently completed a project with a student named Riyalynn, who wanted to use the skills she developed through our programs and peer group to help her local community.

“Julie makes us feel so welcome and taken care of at Beyond Blindness,” says Candyce Miller, Riyalynn’s mother. “She helped Riyalynn put her desire to help homeless people in our community into action with a food drive. The result was so inspiring and fulfilling for Riyalynn.”

With a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkely and a master’s in psychology from Pepperdine University, Julie leans on her counseling skills to contribute to the Family Support services team. In addition to working with current students, she helps conduct outreach to families who have transitioned to the school district to make sure they know Beyond Blindness will be there for them throughout their entire Journey of Care ^TM.