ABOUT US

Dr. Julie Sanborn

Julie Sanborn, Ph.D., BCBA is the founder of Thrive Family Collaborative, where she partners with families to support children's development through a relationship-centered, evidence-based approach.

For more than 15 years, Julie has worked alongside young children, families, educators, and interdisciplinary teams to promote healthy development, strengthen relationships, and support meaningful progress in everyday life. Her work is grounded in the belief that lasting change begins with understanding the whole child—not just behavior, but also each child's strengths, relationships, communication, developmental profile, and the environments in which they learn and grow.

Julie is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and holds a Ph.D. in Infant and Child Development with an emphasis in Mental Health and Neurodiversity. She also has advanced training in the Developmental, Individual-differences, and Relationship-based (DIR®) model. Her approach is deeply informed by the principles of Early Relational Health, recognizing that responsive, nurturing relationships provide the foundation for healthy development, emotional well-being, and lifelong resilience.

She founded Thrive Family Collaborative to provide a different kind of consultation—one that integrates developmental science, relationship-centered care, and evidence-based behavior analysis. Rather than focusing solely on changing behavior, Julie works collaboratively with caregivers to understand the underlying reasons behaviors occur, identify each child's unique strengths, and develop practical, individualized strategies that support meaningful growth within everyday routines.

Julie believes that caregivers are the experts on their own children. Her role is to listen, collaborate, and provide compassionate, evidence-based guidance tailored to each family's goals, values, and daily life. Whether supporting communication, emotional regulation, play, routines, or broader developmental concerns, she strives to ensure that families leave each consultation feeling more confident, supported, and equipped with practical strategies they can continue using long after services have ended.

Julie is committed to creating collaborative partnerships that empower families and foster lasting change. It is a privilege to support children and caregivers during the earliest and most important years of development, and she looks forward to helping every family build the confidence and skills needed to thrive.