My Approach to Helping
My name is Kristen Johnson, and I specialize in working with young adults and adults who are struggling with depression, anxiety, adverse childhood experiences and trauma-related symptoms, attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), and communication and relational issues.
I have worked in a variety of settings, including residential, wilderness, and private practice for the past 10 years. I am currently a licensed LMHC in Hawaii and LPC in Virginia. I am also able to offer coaching services all over the country and internationally. I am passionate about helping people heal and grow.
I utilize a whole person approach, looking to integrate the mind, body, and soul to provide a healing experience through evidence-based practices such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), motivational interviewing, expressive arts, positive psychology, Internal Family Systems, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). I am collaborative and interactive in session. I understand that you are the expert in your own life. I am currently enrolled in a Jungian PhD program and that is influencing my approach to therapy and life as well. If you are looking to do deeper work, contact me.
More Info About My Practice
I utilize HIPAA compliant Google products for telehealth appointments and offer a free 15 min phone consultation before scheduling to determine best fit. The therapeutic relationship and match is very important.
If you'd like to inquire about supervision in HI or life coaching, please reach out.
Important Factors for Choosing a Therapist
When choosing a therapist or shopping around for one, please consider your needs and goals for therapy. Ask each therapist about their approach and if they have had experiencesuccess treating a client like you. Do they have the right expertise for your personal struggle? Not all modalities are the right fit for everyone. You should feel warmth, compassion, and nonjudgement from your therapist. You may still feel challenged but you should not feel dominated. If you've been in therapy before, assess what you liked or didn't like about that experience and communicate it with your therapist. If myself or another clinician says something that doesn't sit right with you, please communicate that. Feedback is important and can be empowering for you as a client. You have the right to refuse treatment and switch to a different clinician if your needs are not being met.