Emmy Johnson (they/them)

I view eating disorders as survival tools, and I will come into our work together with the fundamental belief that your eating disorder saved your life. And, if you’re seeking treatment for it, you’ve realized that your eating disorder is no longer working for you. I've worked in eating disorder treatment for four years now at higher levels of care and l particularly specialize in the intersection of eating disorders and trauma.

Existing as a queer or trans person in this society is hard. And it’s full of joy. Wherever you are on your journey of self-exploration, I would be honored to walk alongside you. It’s a gift to bear witness to people’s initial questioning, their grappling with choices about how to move through the world, and the highs and lows of navigating a society of oppression and communities of love and empowerment. I provide letters of support for trans people seeking medical interventions.

I define trauma broadly as wounds from anything that threatens life, identity, or relationship. Trauma may come from a single event, or it may come from a series of large or small events over time. Trauma can come from relational patterns or attachment ruptures. Trauma is a wound, and wounds can heal. I have prioritized trauma work since before graduate school. I use techniques from somatic (body-based) therapies, Cognitive Processing Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and attachment therapies.

I use principles and techniques from varying theoretical orientations and modalities, depending on what is needed by the individual client. Some clients prefer structured adherence to one modality that directly addresses their primary focus, while other clients benefit from an approach that is dynamic and adjusts based on what is needed on a given day. I use principles from DBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy, attachment theory, feminist/multicultural, motivational interviewing, and others.

I have attended official trainings in DBT and been unofficially mentored and trained to run DBT groups, which I ran for about a year. I use DBT principles and techniques in individual therapy frequently, particularly loving the use of behavior chains to figure out what's going on and identify solutions. I teach skills from DBT to most if not all of my clients, as I think that everyone can benefit from more coping skills.

I specialize in trauma therapy, addressing an individual's trauma through emotions (feeling through it, inner child work, chair work), thoughts (using Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and analyzing stuck points), and the body (noticing where sensations live in the body and using breathing, movement, coping skills, and visualization to help the body release that energy). We may focus on using CPT if we need/want a specific structure, but I use all principles of trauma therapy at all times.