Biography

Julia Jagels, ACSW, is a Therapist I with Didi Hirsch’s Suicide Support Services in Orange County. Julia specializes in providing mental health therapy to support those affected by suicide.

Julia began her work as a 988 Lifeline counselor, helping people deescalate and choose safety during moments of suicidal crises, which has informed her therapeutic approach. Julia works to help clients understand their suicidal or self-harming thoughts and build healthy coping skills to keep themselves safe. Additionally, Julia works with suicide loss, providing survivors with a space to express the complex emotions that are common with suicide-related grief.

Julia has certifications in several evidence-based modalities for suicide prevention, such as Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST), Cognitive Therapy for Suicide Prevention (CT-SP), and SAFETY-A and B for youth. In addition, Julia utilizes interventions and skills from a variety of modalities to inform her practice, most notably Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Using a person-in-environment lens, Julia works to help clients understand their struggles in context and empower them to make effective changes. Julia’s approach is curious and collaborative, helping clients use their innate strengths to survive pain and create meaning and fulfillment.

Certification

Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW)

Education

Master of Social Welfare (MSW), University of California, Los Angeles

Bachelor of Science, University of Oregon