Julie VanderPloeg
Julie VanderPloeg is a mental health advocate who shares a lived-experience perspective on complex mental and neurological illness, resilience, and stigma reduction. Her voice to promote empathy, education, and systemic change, reminding audiences that survival itself is a powerful form of success
Julie VanderPloeg shares a powerful, firsthand story of living with mental illness and neurological conditions while building a meaningful life. Drawing from childhood trauma, late diagnoses, psychiatric hospitalization, and ongoing medical challenges, Julie illustrates what mental illness truly looks like beyond stereotypes. She speaks openly about Bipolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and Functional Neurological Disorder, emphasizing that these conditions are chronic, real, and deserving of the same compassion as physical illness.
Through honesty, humor, and resilience, Julie challenges stigma and redefines success as survival, self-advocacy, and daily perseverance. Her message offers hope, understanding, and a call to treat mental and physical health equally—reminding audiences that strength often looks like simply showing up, one day and one step at a time.
Julie VanderPloeg shares a powerful, firsthand story of living with mental illness and neurological conditions while building a meaningful life. Drawing from childhood trauma, late diagnoses, psychiatric hospitalization, and ongoing medical challenges, Julie illustrates what mental illness truly looks like beyond stereotypes. She speaks openly about Bipolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and Functional Neurological Disorder, emphasizing that these conditions are chronic, real, and deserving of the same compassion as physical illness.
Through honesty, humor, and resilience, Julie challenges stigma and redefines success as survival, self-advocacy, and daily perseverance. Her message offers hope, understanding, and a call to treat mental and physical health equally—reminding audiences that strength often looks like simply showing up, one day and one step at a time.
The Girl Who Kept Going: Finding Hope Through the Storm!
Format: Keynote - 50 min speak/10 min questions
This program is perfect for:
· Anyone wanting to learn more about mental illness
· Anyone who thinks mental illness is fake
The audience will leave with:
· Mental illness is real
· Mentally patients are people too
Julie VanderPloeg shares a powerful, firsthand story of living with mental illness and neurological conditions while building a...
ALS Picked The Wrong Family!
Format: Keynote, around 50 Minutes
This program is perfect for:
- Needing hope when faced with a terminal illness
- First responders needing education on ALS or terminal illness
The audience will leave with:
- Better understanding on how terminal illness effects more than the patient
- More knowledge of...
