by TLC Nielsen
I met Juli Chaffee at church
more than a decade ago. As a mother of three, business owner, counselor and
spouse of 25 plus years, Juli has learned the art of true listening. She runs the
Crossroads Counseling Center and is a new board member for Refuge for Women, a
nonprofit organization which officially announced a new ministry home in McHenry County in October 2016 to help victims of human trafficking.
Welcome, Juli!
Q) You are one busy lady and
also a runner. Where do you manage to find the time and energy?
A) Time is probably my
most valuable resource right now. I wish I had more of it!! There are so
many important and valuable relationships, experiences, goals, and tasks that I
need to attend to every day, so I work intentionally at prioritizing- but
sometimes what I want to do and what I need to do clash and I can’t attend to
everything. I try very hard to find balance so that every day includes a
little bit of self-care in the midst of all the “shoulds.”
Q) Besides running, what
else do you do for fun?
A) I love travel, camping,
reading, cooking, entertaining, and spending time with family and friends.
Q) Why did you become a
counselor?
A) I’m not sure if there is
a short answer to that- there are so many different layers to what led me into
this profession. I knew from an early age - probably 13 or 14 - that I
wanted to be a social worker. My natural gifting includes mercy, empathy
and wisdom. I also have a passion to be with people who are hurting and
have learned over the years that staying present with someone in the midst of
their pain, and then helping them walk through it with patience, acceptance and
strength, is very holy and important work. I love what I do and find it
deeply satisfying.
Q) How did you decide to
branch out into your own practice/business?
A) Having my own practice
was a goal I always had, so it was a natural progression towards that end.
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| Juli Chaffee |
Q) Who influenced you the most throughout your life?
A) Honestly, there isn’t one
person that I can point to who carries more influential weight than another.
My life has been shaped, in joy and pain, by many people and experiences.
If I had to narrow it down though, I think my kids have most influenced
me. For me, being a mom was life changing. It was the most important
decision of my life to create a person (yes, of course my husband helped) and
then to RAISE them! Holy cow, what a scary privilege and honor. I worked
very hard at “learning” who my kids were, what they needed, and how to best
care for each of them uniquely in each stage of growth or sometimes in each
hour of the day. They helped me learn how to be kind when I was tired and
grumpy, patient when there was “just one more story", grace-filled when I
didn’t “do it perfectly,” joyful in the messy, to laugh every day and, most
importantly, how to trust in myself rather than the opinion of others.
Q) In what types of volunteer
activities are you involved?
A) Unfortunately, I have had
to limit my commitments due to the previously mentioned busy life:-) One area I
am committed to is my position on the board of Refuge for Women. I am in love
with this organization: what they stand for, their model for healing and
restoration, and the integrity that is woven into all aspects of the program.
Q) How did you end up as a
board member for Refuge for Women, an organization dedicated to helping human trafficking
victims move forward?
A) I attended their
fundraiser last spring and through a series of conversations with different
people at the event, my name was given to Karen Schultz, the Chicago Director
of Refuge. We met for coffee to talk about the ministry, the needs of
the board and what I might be able to contribute. After a couple
conversations, some prayer and “interviews” by other board members, I was
asked to join!
Thanks for checking in on
the Extraordinary Ordinary blog, where ordinary folks with extraordinary
journeys share their adventures! If you’d like more information on how to help
the efforts to rescue human trafficking victims, here are a few links:
Refuge for Women on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RFWChicago/
National Human Trafficking Hotline: 888-373-7888
Free online course on how to help from Moody Bible Institute:
