Rising Stars: Meet Monica Garty Juice, PNP-BC, PMHS, Consultant

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica Garty Juice, PNP-BC, PMHS, Consultant.

Hi Monica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Prior to the pandemic, while I was approximately waist-deep in my own healing journey, I was working as a pediatric nurse practitioner at a large primary care office and had recently become a first-time mom. My world was flipped upside down, I had lots of learning and unlearning to do. I was working hard with a kickass therapist on my childhood wounds while finally truly understanding what it was like to have my heart outside of my body as a parent. I had so much more clarity and patience, that whether it was during a well child exam or a sick visit for simply a sore throat, I found myself and my patients going to greater depths of their hardships and fears. Somehow, sensitive souls just kept showing up on my schedule day after day. I leaned in hard to every patient/provider relationship. I have always prided myself on being highly empathic and real in my practice, but at my core, I was evolving and transforming as a human and clinician.

Day after day, positive and warm feedback from patient reviews kept coming in, so much that despite a pretty serious case of imposter syndrome, even I couldn’t deny that I was making a meaningful difference. I would share bite-size pieces of mental health education, coping skills and just be an empathetic witness to the pain and suffering people were experiencing. Looking back, I have no idea why it felt like I was breaking some sort of invisible rule, but imposter syndrome had me convinced: I was outside of my scope of practice. I was hesitant, anxious, worried about doing the wrong thing, but there was always a message that kept saying, “Keep going.” Perhaps one of the most profound moments I can recall when I was invited to sit in on what seemed like a a pretty important meeting regarding pediatric mental health in Orange County. I couldn’t hide my passion and all I had learned about pediatric and adolescent mental health, adverse childhood experiences, and chronic illness. During that meeting, my boss texted, “Keep talking!! People are listening!” So while my voice ism far less shaky and my hands don’t always tremor the way they used to, I am still talking.

With so much support from pediatricians, I began to provide a coping skills program in our practice. As the months passed by, my methodology, vision, and mission continuously evolved. The program formalized, picked up speed, and even had quite the waitlist! It was AWESOME and ultimately led to the creation of Intersection Rising. I am so humbled and in utter awe of the hundreds of children and adolescents successfully participated, each presenting with a variety of needs, family dynamics, and unique manifestations of their pain points. They were willing to be vulnerable and in turn, started seeing some very positive changes in their lives. Still, these kids deserved so much, and while I was getting their healing journey started, they deserved consistent and long-term support that I couldn’t provide. In an effort to the treatment plan for each patient, I was networking like crazy — trying to find the most ideal match to provide a warm transition into the offices of remarkable mental health professionals who were already in the trenches. I mean it when I say this, therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners, occupational therapists, advocates, educators, social workers…they are so undervalued. Long story short: if you came through my doors, no one was falling through the cracks or suffering alone. I could help right away, and then metaphorically Uber drive my patients into the hands of the best care available to them.

Imposter syndrome is funny – it has a tendency to keep us small, but also I feel it is so important to keep our egos in check. As a rule follower and recovering people pleaser, I frequently worried (perhaps excessively) that mental health professionals would tell me to stay in my own lane. They didn’t, not a single one. The mental health community in Orange County embraced me, saw value in my mission, and have offered support and countless valuable lessons along the way. They even began referring me to their clients! Our work together had become so powerful and collaborative, and patients were healing in the most remarkable and profound ways.

So long story short, after a lifetime of feeling just a wee bit different and not having a true sense of authentic belonging, I had entered my “Zone of Genius.” I found my people. Many became colleagues; many became friends. We were meeting the mental health needs in our practice like never before, kids and parents were doing HARD things, and I was officially being the woman for others that I had needed all along. I am forever thankful for all those who voices who didn’t let me stay small and made sure I had a seat at the table. What an incredible and humbling honor it has been.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Wait…is there such a thing as a smooth road??

As a young child, I was highly sensitive and timid, and my need for perfection and pleasing people was debilitating. Looking back, growing up was just such a struggle for me, and while I performed well in school, I was also internalizing symptoms of anxiety and experiencing shame that I was too much. During middle school, I began exhibiting signs of more profound anxiety, manifesting with obsessions and compulsions to cope with the discomfort. I didn’t have a playground to disappear on, and my well-meaning educators didn’t know how to guide a sensitive kid through the hellscape that middle school is. My grades started to drop; I began to have conflicts with teachers, which was not so much defiance as it was being shut down. By the time I reached high school, I was experiencing an array of physical manifestations and somatic symptoms that doctors couldn’t seem to pinpoint. We bounced from doctor to doctor. The wheels had quickly fallen off the bus, leaving me feeling like I was living on an island by myself. I was perpetually sick, growing more insecure by the day, and my feelings of hopelessness darkened my world. I knew for sure things were not going to be okay. Man, was I wrong!

It wasn’t always easy for me to speak up and share my truth. As an adult who has done lots of personal healing work, I have so much compassion for that kid now. Sure there is grief, but the blame and shame are long gone. Today, I pride myself on being the woman today that I needed growing up. With the support of a remarkable human and therapist, I have worked extensively with my own healing journey to integrate my greatest challenges into a life that I am extraordinarily proud of. I have the language to express even the biggest feelings, the courage to show up, and coping skills to emotionally regulate in stressful times. I have accepted that suffering is part of life. The difference? When I need help, I know how to recognize it, admit it, and mobilize resources to access the support.

Seriously though, if anyone has had a smooth road all along, please reach out because just I really don’t think that exists, and I am insanely curious.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I believe behavior makes sense. When people are struggling with anxiety, depression, substance abuse, or an eating disorder for example, we need to ask why they suffering. My philosophy is largely inspired by the remarkable work of Dr. Gabor Mate–who has demonstrated the power of an empathic witness and the importance of getting to the root of pain. Dr. Mate emphasizes that “People have two needs: Attachment and authenticity. Further, “Safety is not just the absence of threat, it is the presence of connection.” These are two of my guiding principles.

My goals are multifaceted and constantly evolving. Therapy has two major components – content and process. In my practice, I teach content, make it relevant, and then connect my clients to mental health professionals who are experts at the process. I am passionate about educating about the brain and nervous system, providing high-yield coping skills, emotional intelligence, and the felt sense of trauma (both ACES and invisible trauma), and how these can manifest into chronic and severe health problems. I love working with children who are highly sensitive, empathic or those who have survived developmental trauma. I work really well with neurodivergent populations, use humor, and just try to meet people where they are. I enjoy working with parents who care deeply but lack emotional maturity, attunement, and the ability to coregulate or effectively communicate with their children.

When the medical system often responds with a diagnosis, I simply let my patients know, 1) You make sense, 2) You don’t have to do this alone, 3) The generational cycles stop here, 4) Neurodivergent individuals are NOT broken neurotypicals, and 5) You can do hard things.

“Do your best until you know better, and when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
My inherent sensitivity, passion (or obsession) for learning, attention to detail, and dire need for a sense of completion in all things are likely my most valuable qualities when it comes to how I work with individuals. I have to be thorough. I have been told my vulnerability and authenticity are disarming, allowing clients to open up themselves in a supportive and contained environment. For better or worse, it is nearly impossible (at best, it is exhausting) for me to perform and be anything other than authentically myself–quirky, empathic, comical, and sarcastic AF. Sometimes, it makes for an awkward moment or two, but most of the time, it’s pure magic.

It has been said, “Shame dies when stories are told in safe places” – I couldn’t agree more. If you walk into my physical or virtual office, you should know: I will never give up on you or your lovely, sweet, massive pain in the neck child. If you are thinking you are ready to lean in, I am so down to travel this road with you.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.intersectionrising.com

Image Credits
Lorynn Vossler Photography