Russell Johnson
Russell Johnson
(he/him)
I like working with individuals with a wide array of problems including: depression, anxiety, anger, trauma, relationship problems, behavioral disorders, substance abuse, impulse control problems, low self-esteem, low self-confidence, family problems, life skills deficits, and problems with decision-making. My goal is to help you achieve your goals. I am in the happiness business and I want help you achieve a happy, fulfilling lifestyle. I provide compassionate care and I am an efficient and effective counselor who uses evidence-based approaches like CBT and EMDR. I have an eclectic approach and I am skilled at cognitive-behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, psychodynamic therapy, existential therapy, reality therapy, grief therapy, and couples and family therapy. I provide therapy in a supportive, patient, and motivating manner. I do thorough assessments so that I can truly understand your situation and work with you to find solutions to your problems. I try to create an individualized, specific treatment approach for each client. Together, we will identify your challenges and goals - where you want your life to be a month, six months, a year from now. Then, we'll identify options and strategies you can use to get there. You'll leave the session with a better understanding of what you're facing with an "actions I can take right now" approach. There will always be room for suggestions concerning our work together, including keeping each other accountable.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In the first session, I like to do a thorough assessment and learn as much as possible about a client's problems, challenges, and obstacles in life. Then I formulate a treatment plan to address and treat those problems. Next we will used evidence-based techniques and work through your problems together until your symptoms have been significantly reduced or eliminated.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
My greatest strengths are that I have extensive training in psychotherapy and I am familiar with a wide variety of therapeutic approaches, I have a good sense of humor, I love my work, and I strive to create a unique, effective therapy experience for each client. I have also worked full-time doing many types of counseling including: grief counseling, brief counseling, crisis counseling, substance abuse counseling, domestic violence counseling, group counseling, and couples and family counseling.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
I like working with a wide variety of clients. I love challenges and would like the opportunity to help clients with simple problems and complex, difficult problems learn the skills necessary to live a happy, fulfilling life. My goal is to help every client achieve their best life and reach their potential as a person.
About Russell Johnson
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I use this to help clients with depression, anger, or anxiety problems reduce their symptoms and learn how to regulate their emotions. I also use it in relationship and couples counseling to help clients develop more reasonable expectations of one another and stop over-reacting when conflict arise.
Couples Counseling
I help couples learn how to improve their communication and conflict-resolution skills and learn how to treat one another with kindness, compassion, and mutual respect. Unfortunately, many people learn to avoid conflicts in their relationships instead of dealing with them. This avoidance can lead to resentment between partners, which can cause more frequent fighting and lead to long-term problems. Together, I work with couples to create a safe and welcoming environment that allows clients to explore obstacles and concerns related to their relationships. We'll work to overcome your negative relationship patterns, and help you and your partner grow together via new communication and conflict-resolution approaches.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I use DBT to help clients with personality disorders and other conditions learn how to regulate their emotions better, be mindful of their daily experiences, develop the ability to self-soothe, and develop healthy relationships with others.
EMDR
I use EMDR to help clients process traumas and reduce their PTSD symptoms. I have found that there are often positive ripple effects from using EMDR. I have seen symptoms disappear that a person has been experiencing their entire life after doing EMDR treatments.
Existential
I use existential therapy to help clients resolve existential crises like helping them to find meaning in their lives. As Carl Jung stated: "meaning makes a great many things endurable – perhaps everything.” This type of therapy also helps to reduce our fear of death. Fear of death can make us feel vulnerable and anxious, but it can also motivate us to live life more fully. Existential therapy also helps us accept that we are free to make our own choices. This can help us accept the fact that we are responsible for our choices and actions in a world. Lastly, Existential therapy can help us accept our aloneness in the world. This helps us to understand the gap between our individual experience and that of others.