Stephanie Johnson (she/her)

Someone with adjustment disorder might be dealing with a temporary depressive episode in response to a major stressful life event. I like to use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients identify faulty patterns of thinking that might be contributing to some of the issues resulting from their depression. By identifying and understanding these patterns, I help clients re-focus on appropriate coping skills to increase motivation and confidence in one's ability to thrive.

Someone with anxiety might be dealing with ongoing feelings of dread, fear, or panic around daily life activities. Through use of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), I help clients identify distortions in their thinking and confront those distortions head on through systematic desensitization (exposure therapy). Clients can then move forward with more realistic thoughts and actions to effectively manage their anxiety.

More and more our youth are being forced to face issues (i.e. bullying, social media pressure, body image, perfectionism, etc.) that thrusts them into varying mental states; including depression, anxiety, and suicidal ideation, that are challenging to address without proper supports. Based on the presenting issue(s), various therapeutic approaches can be used to help clients identify more productive ways of thinking and behaving that aid in managing daily struggles.

During my time working with adolescents at the elementary school level, Play Therapy was a great way to reach those who may have lacked the verbal skills to articulate specific wants and needs. Even highly articulate individuals benefit from being able to use symbolism and play to express their innermost feelings.

Solution Focused Brief Therapy is a practice I use when working with diagnosed and undiagnosed clients in need of short-term goals to address more immediate needs. It's absolutely client driven and extremely effective when working with self-driven clients seeking change.

CBT is my general "go-to" especially for clients new to psychotherapy. It's a way to guide clients looking to address current issues by identifying ongoing patterns of behaviors and thinking proven ineffective for managing the stresses of daily life. This style of therapy is brief and heavily client-centered.