Dr. Julie Pelletier is one of the coaches that we found this month and we did a little interview with her. She impressed us with her innovativeness and passion.

She has devoted her life to making emotional healing approachable, comforting, and even cuddly, in a world where childhood mental health challenges are on the rise. With over two decades of experience as a Clinical Pediatric Psychologist and a mother of four, she blends clinical expertise with deep personal insight to meet children exactly where they are. But her work goes far beyond talk therapy, she’s innovating the field with a groundbreaking tool: Therabear, a weighted, multisensory, talking teddy bear that teaches kids coping skills through comforting routines and positive reinforcement.

She brings a rare combination of science, faith, and heart to every child and family she works with. Her coaching style is rooted in compassion and powered by proven strategies (from growth mindset training to emotion regulation techniques) all personalized to the unique needs of each child. Whether it’s through visualization exercises, gratitude journaling, or the gentle voice of Therabear, her mission is clear: to equip children with the tools they need to build resilience, self confidence, and emotional strength that lasts a lifetime.

She is not just changing how we support children, she’s reimagining what healing can feel like: safe, soothing, and empowering. Through her innovative work, she is planting seeds of emotional intelligence and inner peace in the next generation, one child and one cuddly bear at a time. Here is what she said…

Meet Life Coach Julie Pelletier:

Name: Julie Pelletier, Dr.

Pillar: The Spirit, The Mind, The Heart

Who is this coach for: Kids and parents who want to set their children for success, emotionally, mentally, and socially.

How they can help: By using her revolutionary talking and teaching, lightly weighted, multi sensory therapeutic bear (Therabear), and various other coaching tools and techniques.

First of all, how are you and your family doing after these Pandemic times?

My family and I are doing well following the pandemic.

How did the coronavirus pandemic affect your clients? Did it affect you at all?

I think something that really impacted children during the pandemic is not being in a structured school environment for such a long period of time.

Children NEED structure and benefit so much from routine and expectations that come with the school setting.

The young children who missed the opportunity to learn skills that are taught during preschool and elementary school years during the pandemic may struggle more now because these foundational skills were missed.

What are the biggest lessons that you learned in this pandemic?

One of the biggest lessons that I learned during the pandemic is patience.

This has helped me in my business and in my personal life in so many ways.

Attempting to understand patience from a faith based perspective has really been helpful for me as I have reflected on this.

Truly trusting the process and believing that there is a greater plan and a timeline that is not mine is something that I continue to learn as each day passes.

The Origin:

Tell us about you, your career, how you started with your coaching career?

I am a Clinical Pediatric Psychologist.

I received Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral degrees in clinical psychology, with highest honors.

I have worked with children and families in multiple settings in the nearly twenty five years that I have been practicing.

Some of these settings include residential treatment, locked secure units, inpatient acute units, outpatient community mental health clinics, shelter care, intensive outpatient programs, hospital based behavioral health programs, and most of my time has been working in private practice.

I am also a Positive Mindset Coach for Children and the creator of Therabear.

I am passionate about working with children to improve the ways they think about themselves and the world around them.

Teaching coping and self soothing skills with a growth mindset is what I love to do.

I am a mother of four amazing kids myself, and I have learned a lot about parenting that is not necessarily taught in books.

This has helped me to better and more thoroughly understand difficulties and needs in the families that I work with.

I practice from a faith based perspective and believe that my Christian background has helped me to be not only a better person but also a better clinician.

I believe that there are children everywhere who can benefit from learning skills that will help them manage emotions and behaviors throughout life.

This is what has led to my starting to work in the coaching space and also led to my creation, Therabear.

Therabear is a lightly weighted, multi sensory, soft and cuddly teddy bear that talks to teach coping skills in a calm, routine manner when it is hugged.

There is a hidden zipper under the bear’s arm that holds a therapy heart.

When this heart is squeezed, the therapy steps begin.

Much research and thoughtful planning went into the weight, size, colors, textures, and length of time that Therabear “talks” the child through the therapy steps that are provided.

What makes Therabear even better is that positive reinforcement is provided as the child practices the therapeutic skills along with Therabear.

Children, preschool age up to adulthood, are benefiting from all that Therabear has to offer.

What was your biggest obstacle that you had to overcome in your life that made you who you are today?

I don’t know if I have one biggest obstacle.

There have been several challenges, setbacks, and traumas that have given me opportunities to learn about myself, who I am, and who I want to be.

There have definitely been some very challenging times and experiences that I have had.

I am so blessed and thankful that I have my faith to help me through those times.

I have learned to practice gratitude each morning and continue to pray throughout each of my days.

I truly believe that the difficulties I experience and the people who share my path are there for a purpose.

And I am SO thankful for my family!

I have the best!

The Coaching Style:

How do you innovate with coaching your clients?

When I work with a coaching client, I innovate by meeting my clients just where they are at that time.

Then, I use a blend of science backed strategies and creative tools tailored to their own needs.

I bring in mindset psychology, positive reinforcement, emotion regulation techniques, and therapeutic tools, like Therabear, to help build trust and engagement.

I have found that following a series of steps, while at the same time modifying these steps for each child that I work with, is what tends to work best.

I also like to use visualization and breathing practices, whatever resonates the most with each individual.

I also know that I am constantly learning about each client and about which intervention strategies work best for each client, and I use what I learn to modify meetings as we go.

Innovation to me is about personalizing the process and helping the child or family feel as comfortable as possible.

What’s unique about your coaching approach?

What is unique about my approach to coaching is the background and experience that I have had.

As a mom, a clinical child psychologist, and a mindset coach, I bring deep knowledge of emotional development paired with genuine compassion and strong listening skills, all from a faith based point of view.

My focus is on teaching emotion regulation, resilience, positive self talk, and growth mindset in a way that is practical, empowering, and rooted in prevention.

I don’t just coach, I equip children and families with life changing emotional skills that are grounded in science and guided by love.

The experiences I have had in my professional work as well as within my own family have helped me to better understand that there is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to working with a child.

I am blessed to have had the many experiences and challenges in many settings so that I can better understand where my clients may be coming from to assist in developing the best plan that I can for each individual and family.

What benefits do your clients get after working with you?

Families walk away with more than just insight after working with me.

They gain practical, lasting tools for emotional strength and mindset growth.

Children learn how to understand and manage feelings, build confidence, and believe in themselves, skills that impact their performance, relationships, and mental well being for the rest of their lives.

Parents feel more equipped and connected, with a clearer understanding of how to support their child’s emotional needs.

Kids learn to regulate emotions, bounce back from setbacks, and view challenges as opportunities.

Overall, staying focused on the positive and having gratitude each day are important things that clients are able to take away from our work together.

Do you use any specific tools to be efficient with your clients?

I use a few specific tools with the clients I work with.

First, I use Therabear, the multi sensory, lightly weighted, talking and teaching, comforting therapeutic plush that I created over many years.

Children get to choose which Therabear would be best for their needs.

I also use a gratitude journal, and I send a few other surprises along for children as well.

The Impact:

If you had a super megaphone that, when you speak into, the whole world will hear your message, what would you say?

We need to start giving kids tools to cope with emotions, frustrations, and anxiety now.

We need to think prevention.

We need to focus on giving kids skills to self calm, manage their emotions, and teach them to understand how their behaviors impact not just them but those around them.

Kindness and gratitude should be incorporated into daily routines along with these coping skills to help promote empathy and frustration tolerance.

We all need these skills in order to live well.

What is the greatest lesson you have learned in your life?

Among the greatest lessons I have learned in my life is that trust and true connection are the foundation for both healing and growth.

Whether I am working with a client, raising my own children, or supporting others I am close to, I have seen repeatedly that people thrive when they feel safe, seen, heard, and supported.

This has taught me to slow down, listen deeply, and lead with faith and compassion, because that is where the real goodness and transformation begins.

Your final thoughts?

My passion is working with children to help them learn skills that will allow them to be the best versions of themselves and have the greatest opportunities for success emotionally, academically, athletically, and socially throughout their lives.

If we start teaching children about emotional well being and regulation skills when they are young, they will be better equipped to manage challenges and daily life as they grow through life.

It’s a WIN for everyone involved!

Where Can You Find Dr. Julie Pelletier?

If you liked this interview and if you would love to set your kid for success, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually… go to drjulietherabear.net and see how Coach Julie can help you and your kid achieve that.

If you want to find the Therabear, you can check this website.

If you’d like to peak a glimpse of her coaching, follow her Facebook and Instagram accounts.

And if you’d like to connect with her more personally, you can do that through LinkedIn or by sending her a direct message on her Email [email protected]. It was an honor having this interview with her.