As a pioneering voice in the sober community since 2010, Julie Elsdon-Height, known on social media as SoberJulie is a Registered Social Worker, Professional Life and Recovery Coach and the founder of the popular blog Life Straight UP!, With her no-nonsense, straight-up style, Julie reflects the possibility of a fulfilling life, free from stigma and limitations.
Julie’s holistic approach blends mainstream and Indigenous-informed practices, offering personalized support for clients navigating not only addiction recovery but also trauma, identity exploration, life transitions, and family dynamics. Julie’s services are tailored to each individual’s unique needs, fostering resilience, self-compassion, and sustainable well-being.
Julie empowers others to navigate the complexities of life with clarity, resilience and self-compassion with focus upon the following areas:
Addiction Recovery and Substance Use Support
Julie works collaboratively with clients to create personalized recovery plans, addressing unique challenges in early recovery. Through regular sessions, she helps clients build resilience, strengthen relapse prevention skills, and navigate life in recovery with confidence and stability.
2SLGBTQIA+ and Neurodivergent Support
Julie offers affirming, client-centered care for 2SLGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent clients, respecting each individual’s unique journey, including identity exploration and neurodiversity. In continued sessions, she helps clients build emotional regulation skills, foster supportive relationships, and experience lasting growth
Life Transitions and Personal Growth
Julie supports clients through life’s many changes, offering practical strategies for resilience, self-compassion, and growth. With consistent sessions, she provides a reliable foundation to help clients navigate career shifts, family dynamics, and personal development with confidence and balance.
Indigenous and Culturally-Safe Support
Julie integrates Indigenous perspectives with mainstream practices, offering a culturally safe environment for healing and self-discovery. Through continuous support, she helps Indigenous clients and those seeking culturally informed care reconnect with their cultural identity, explore community connections, and experience holistic healing.Support for Families of Individuals in Recovery or Trauma Recovery
Julie understands the essential role families play in healing and recovery. Through ongoing family support, she guides clients in setting boundaries, fostering empathy, and building healthy relationships, equipping families with tools to support loved ones in recovery or trauma healing.
Julie believes in a wise practice approach to helping others achieve balance in their lives through braiding mainstream practice through the holistic Indigenous lens. Julie holds that we are created perfectly as we are today and can step into that belief with support.
By helping people to see the interconnectedness of their physical, emotional, spiritual and mental aspects of self and the world around them, individuals can identify causes of disruption in the context of their lived experience. With this, they can address and resolve these issues interfering with living their best life.