Look and Listen

Biography

Here's the official bio: An internationally recognized speaker and expert in the area of Anger Resolution and Stress Management, Julie Christiansen brings over 15 years experience in group and individual counseling, to your boardroom. Branded as “Oprah for the Office” by some of her clients, Julie educates and entertains audiences throughout Canada, and the United States, and the Caribbean. She is the author of several books including, "Anger Solutions", "Top Ten Lists to Live By", and "Anger Solutions at Work". Julie has successfully merged her previous career as a counselor for people with mental illness, brain injury, addictions, and at-risk youth with her passion for helping teams attain peak performance and productivity through enhanced communication models. Julie holds a BA in Psychology and is a Master Trainer in the Anger Solutions(TM) Model. She is a Certified Public Speaker, and holds certificates in Suicide Intervention/Prevention (ASSIST), Non-violent Crisis Intervention, and Bereavement Counselling. She is the founder of the Canadian Association of Anger Solutions(TM) Professionals. An internationally recognized speaker and expert in the area of Anger Resolution and Stress Management, Julie Christiansen brings over 15 years experience in group and individual counseling, to your boardroom. Branded as “Oprah for the Office” by some of her clients, Julie educates and entertains audiences throughout Canada, and the United States, and the Caribbean. She is the author of several books including, "Anger Solutions", "Top Ten Lists to Live By", and "Anger Solutions at Work". Julie has successfully merged her previous career as a counselor for people with mental illness, brain injury, addictions, and at-risk youth with her passion for helping teams attain peak performance and productivity through enhanced communication models. Julie holds a BA in Psychology and is a Master Trainer in the Anger Solutions(TM) Model. She is a Certified Public Speaker, and holds certificates in Suicide Intervention/Prevention (ASSIST), Non-violent Crisis Intervention, and Bereavement Counselling. She is the founder of the Canadian Association of Anger Solutions(TM) Professionals. That's the short story - the long story will go into a book some day. I was born in Jamaica, emigrated to Canada at the age of 6, and began writing at the age of 8. It was about that time that I decided I wanted to be a psychiatrist - and while that dream changed a bit (in job title only), I have always preferred to work in the helping professions. Aside from 15 years of counseling experience, I also did a little jaunt in the corporate world, first as a public speaker (which I still do now), then as a writer/journalist. At one point, I was writing for 9 publications, 7 of which were under the umbrella of one business newspaper, and I served as editor-in-chief for another paper, and as contributing writer for yet another. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to pursue my two great loves, writing, and counseling. On a more personal side, I am married (20 years this year) to a wonderful man named Steve. We have three children aged 18, 14, and 14, and an albino rabbit named Daniel. I am officially the shortest person in our house. The day I first kissed my husband is one of our most historic moments, and one we celebrate annually (June 6, 1985) - I suppose that means I am a bit of a romantic... My top three defining moments: 1. getting married, getting pregnant, and having a baby - all while completing my undergraduate degree full time 2. finding out that my apparent miscarriage was not a miscarriage at all, but healthy twins 3. the moment in which I peeled back all the layers of other people's expectations and re-discovered my passion - and decided to live it Anything else you want to know, you can learn about me from my books. I have no secrets...

Inspiration

What inspires me most is beauty - and that can be found anywhere. I find nature to be both calming and "centering"; I will often take my laptop out to the backyard, or down to the waterfront to write, and I always find the outdoors to help me become more focused and less distracted. I am inspired by love. I once fancied myself a good poet, and was most inspired by the different kinds of love and how they can manifest themselves (lust, passion, indifference, hate, co-dependence...). I also take a lot from my dreams - moreso for my fictional writing and poetry. I dream in colour and in sound, so my dreams are quite vivid, and provide me with lots of good material. I am also inspired by the people I want to be when I grow up: Jack Canfield, Anthony Robbins, Montel Williams, Jesus.