Dr. Julia Balunis

Family Nurse Practitioner

Dr. Julia Balunis, is a Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) dedicated to helping you achieve your mental health goals. With a focus on compassionate, evidence-based care, she serves a diverse client population across the lifespan—from children and adolescents to adults and the elderly.

Dr. Balunis specializes in treating conditions including Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD/MAT), anxiety, depression, PTSD, and bipolar disorder, as well as providing comprehensive medication management. Her approach is integrated, weaving together mental and physical health by considering lifestyle factors, relationships, environment, and cultural beliefs. Dr. Balunis is committed to fostering resilience, building trust through validation, and empowering clients to take an active role in their health management.

What you can expect from our first session

Your first visit includes detailed psychiatric evaluation, diagnosis and treatment options/plan. Medication may be ordered on your first visit. Subsequent follow up sessions are required according to your needs.

You will be fully involved in the decision making.

More About Me

Beyond the clinic, a meaningful time with family means making snow forts in the Winter, spontaneously hiking to waterfalls in Virginia in the Summer, and visiting my now grown children. These experiences remind me of the joy in simple, unplanned moments. My husband and I share our home with three cats—Kisa, Ash, and Ela—which creates a lively sense of warmth and gentle chaos that I wouldn’t trade for the world.

I believe that the most powerful changes begin with the smallest steps. During one of the most difficult times in my life, I learned to focus not on the entire journey, but simply on making it through one day at a time. That mindset, breaking challenges into small, manageable pieces is something I bring to my work with clients every day.

Outside of work, I enjoy cooking and experimenting with cultural recipes (pasta dishes are my favorite!), and I love puzzles and brain games that challenge me to think in new ways.