Julia V. Taylor

Julia V. Taylor, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Counselor Education in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA. She is the author of The Body Image Workbook for Teens, The Bullying Workbook for Teens, Salvaging Sisterhood, Girls in Real-Life Situations (GIRLS): Group Counseling Activities for Enhancing Social and Emotional Development, and the children's book Perfectly You. (GIRLS is two separate curricula, one for secondary ages and another for elementary ages.)

Prior to academia, Taylor worked as middle and high school counselor for eight years. Afterward, she was appointed to the founding leadership team for Wake County Public School’s first single gender academy, where she served as the Dean of Student Services. During her time as a practitioner, she focused the majority of her research on body image, media literacy, relational aggression, and girls' leadership development.

Taylor frequently presents this line of research to parents, educators, school counselors, and students across the country. She has a passion for helping girls develop a true sense of self, stand up to unrealistic media expectations, take healthy risks, and cultivate meaningful relationships. When not working, she enjoys running, writing, and spending time with friends and family in Brooklyn, New York, her home away from home.