JMBD Therapy & Consultation

Why I Do This Work

Julie Bolduc DeFilippo is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker in Massachusetts and the founder of JMBD Therapy & Consultation. In addition to her private practice, Julie works as a high school social worker. She strives to create therapeutic care and spaces grounded in the principles of a strengths-based perspective and centered on lived experience.

Julie holds a Master of Social Work from Boston College and a PhD in Social Work from Simmons University, where her research explored the quality of life of caregivers raising children with high support needs. She is also a social science researcher with training in conducting and evaluating psychological and educational research, with expertise in differential diagnosis, distinct anxiety presentations, stress, and trauma.

Her clinical work centers on autism (including PDA profiles), ADHD, trauma, acute mental health response, evaluating risk in neurodivergent presentations, and the intersections of disability and systemic disadvantage.

Julie has taught at Schools of Social Work across Greater Boston—including Boston College, Simmons University, Salem State University, and Merrimack College—and is a frequent presenter at regional and national conferences on topics related to disability, neurodivergence, and trauma-informed care.

Julie provides training and consultation to educators and IEP teams on adapting interventions and shifting from compliance-based approaches toward relational, autonomy-supportive models of education. She is a member of the PDA Therapy Collaborative, the Massachusetts PDA Clinical Study Group, the Therapist Neurodiversity Collective, and NASW.

Julie is active in community advocacy at both local and state levels, using her professional and personal experiences with disability to advocate for the inclusion and rights of individuals with disabilities and the people who love them.

Credentials & Training

PhD, Social Work
MSW, Social Work
LICSW, Massachusetts
School Adjustment Counselor, Massachusetts
Certified in Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP)
Trained in ACT, DBT, CBT, IFS, neuro-affiring care approaches, trauma-focused approaches, and crisis intervention (Mental Health First Aid)

Professional & Community Involvement

Founder, JMBD Therapy & Consultation, LLC (Danvers, MA)
School Social Worker
Member, PDA Therapy Collaborative, MA PDA Study Group, Therapist Neurodiversity Collective, Inc, and the National Association of Social Workers of MA:
Faculty roles at Boston College, Simmons University, Salem State University, Merrimack College, and Wheelock College
Social Science researcher with training in conducting and evaluating psychological and educational research, with expertise in differential diagnosis, distinct anxiety presentations, stress, and trauma.
Frequent presenter at regional and national conferences
Active in community advocacy at both local and state levels, using her professional and personal experiences with disability to advocate for the inclusion and rights of individuals with disabilities and the people who love them.

Oct 2016: Fellow advocates at the bill signing ceremony of a MA law extending the preservation of sexual assault kits from 6 months to 15 years.

My Professional Path

I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Massachusetts with over a decade of experience across outpatient, school, community, and higher education settings. I also hold a PhD in Social Work, with a focus on neurodivergence, trauma, and systems navigation.

My work has included:

Clinical leadership in school-based programs serving students with complex mental health needs
Private practice therapy for children, adolescents, adults, and families
Specialized consultation with caregivers, schools, and multidisciplinary teams
Teaching and mentoring future social workers at several Schools of Social Work

Across these settings, my focus has remained consistent: supporting clients with neurodivergence, PDA, trauma, anxiety, and caregiver stress — and helping families navigate the systems around them.

How I Work

I bring a neuro-affirming, trauma-sensitive, culturally responsive, and pragmatic approach to my work. I adapt interventions to each client’s goals, needs, and life circumstances, drawing from modalities including:

Person-Centered, Narrative, and Psychodynamic Therapy
Attachment-Based and Emotionally Focused Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Safe & Sound Protocol (certified) and sensory-integrative approaches

I also integrate movement-based, polyvagal-informed practices when helpful, especially for children and clients who benefit from sensory regulation and body-based work.

Land & Commitment Acknowledgment

I acknowledge that my practice space in Danvers, Massachusetts is on the unceded ancestral lands of the Naumkeag and Agawam peoples. I honor their past, present, and continuing presence, culture, and connection to this land.

I strive to weave that awareness into practice in my clinical work. Some of the ways I engage this commitment include:

Centering lived experience at every level — not only through client stories, but through inclusion of those often marginalized in research and discourse
Pursuing research and reflection on how autism and neurodiversity manifest differently across racialized and Indigenous populations, especially in contexts where systemic barriers, intergenerational trauma, and limited diagnostic visibility suppress identification
Advocating for more equitable access to neurodevelopmental services, especially for Indigenous, Black, and other historically underserved communities

I hope this acknowledgment is a guidepost — not perfection — and that it invites ongoing reflection, connection, and justice.

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