E126: From $55 Shame to $225 Sovereignty: Julianna on Leaving Martyrdom Behind.

In this episode, we’re speaking with Julianna Vermeys, a Portland-based somatic therapist and LIMB grad who took a long, brave road from burnout and martyrdom to freedom and clarity in her practice.

Julianna opens up about the chaos of running a full-time private practice, teaching, supervising, parenting two kids, and secretly sliding her fees all the way down to $50/session—all while living in a body that never got to rest.

If you’ve ever felt like your nervous system is boiling from the inside out, or that you’re doing more for your clients than you can offer your own children, this episode will crack you wide open.

Listen to the episode:

In this episode, Julianna will share:

What it felt like to supervise, teach, parent, and see 25+ clients a week—while secretly charging as little as $55;

How pandemic stress, somatic signals, and a deep moment in child’s pose forced her to confront the unsustainable cost of her giving;

The impact of growing up around fame and wealth—but without access to it—and how that fueled a martyr mindset;

What she had to face in herself in order to stop sliding her fees and finally charge $225 with full integrity;

Her insights on intergenerational trauma, agency shame, and the oppressive therapist training models that keep us small.

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More about Julianna

Julianna is a somatic therapist and clinical supervisor in Portland, Oregon. For nearly twenty years she has been dedicated to exploring the integration of human experience with clients and colleagues who are willing to understand themselves, their trauma, grief and suffering beyond the realm of problem solving. She recently integrated her work as an educator, therapist and supervisor into a three day embodiment retreat for other therapists (stay tuned for more!) She is also a writer completing her memoir using therapeutic insight to tell her story;  a mom to two amazing children, a dedicated daughter and friend.

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About the podcast

The Money Sessions podcast by Tiffany McLain, LMFT is full of deep, thoughtful, and sometimes raw conversations with real therapists who are in the midst of leaning into raising fees and making bank – all while working with the clients they are passionate about serving.

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