ABOUT US
Meet AJ
AJ Johnson, AMFT
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Pronouns: they/them
Clinical Expertise & Special Interest:
Queer, trans, and gender expansive teenagers and adults
BIPOC, multi-racial and folks from diasporic lineages
Neurodivergent, disabled and chronically ill folks
What Clients Say About Working with Me:
Clients would describe me as compassionate and deeply attuned — a therapist committed to co-creating safety and authentically showing up in a way that welcomes others to share their authentic selves too. They’ve told me I offer guidance that is both validating and stretching, creating space for real growth and reflection, because I’m not afraid to hold your hand while calling you into facing hard truths with a mix of warmth, straight talk, and humor that’s debatable at best. Clients also share that rather than providing answers as an expert, they experience me as inviting them to connect with the innate sense of agency they already possess and to access the networks of communal and intergenerational support that are always holding them.
Special Training:
EMDR trained
Neurodiversity Affirming Practice
IFS and parts work
Decolonizing Mental Health Practice
Interpersonal Neurobiology
Polyvagal Theory
LGBTQIA2S+ Mental Health
Are you queer, trans, neurodivergent and/or BIPOC and finding yourself overwhelmed by life or the state of the world in a way that’s making it more difficult to do every day, human things?
Or maybe you’re noticing that you’re avoiding hard conversations, pulling away in your relationships or using scrolling or tv to numb out? For some of the folks I am supporting, they’ve been finding themselves more irritable and lashing out at the people they love most. And others tell me they’ve been falling into patterns of people-pleasing and are finding it more difficult to say no and set boundaries. Some cannot seem to stop worrying about the future. Some are finding it challenging just to get out of bed.
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not broken or wrong or bad, I promise.
My work is rooted in the belief that the things we are struggling with began as intelligent ways we adapted to traumatic relationships and oppressive environments that required us to think, feel, and behave in specific ways in order to survive. Trauma means that even in the present, our range of responses is narrowed to those rigid and inflexible strategies we learned in the past.
From my perspective, healing includes tending to the original wounds, developing the capacity to be with the intensity of our emotional experiences, and practicing new responses that are based on our values and goals, rather than continuing to be trapped in patterns of reactions that aren’t serving us. Empowerment through trauma healing doesn’t mean we don’t have difficult experiences, but it includes expanding our sense of choice and agency to build a life beyond our wounds, focused on our strength, our joy and our liberation.
Schools & Degrees:
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology, University of Oregon
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology, University of Oregon
Master of Science, Couples & Family Therapy, University of Oregon
Licensure:
AMFT # 161165, Registered in California under the name Amanda Johnson, supervised by Jessica Hernandez, LCSW # 113712
Ready to Get Started?
Our Client Care Coordinator is ready to connect you with a therapist who is the best fit for you, your unique experience, needs and goals.
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