Licensed to practice in Ohio and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Anxiety, Depression, Trauma and PTSD and 10 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
I’m Teresa M. Johnson, LPCC, a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor with more than 20 years of experience helping adolescents and adults navigate anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, autism, relationship challenges, self-esteem, and major life transitions. My practice is warm, collaborative, trauma-informed, and client-centered, drawing from evidence-based approaches including CBT, DBT, solution-focused therapy, psychoeducation, and expressive arts. I provide affirming care for neurodivergent individuals, LGBTQIA+ clients, ethically non-monogamous relationships, and people in alternative or kink-affirming communities, with a focus on creating a safe, judgment-free space where clients can better understand themselves, build meaningful skills, and create lives that feel authentic and fulfilling.
Our first session is an opportunity for us to get to know one another and begin understanding what brings you to therapy. We’ll talk about your current concerns, your goals, your experiences, and what you hope to get out of counseling. I’ll also explain how I work, answer any questions you may have, and collaborate with you to develop a plan that feels realistic and meaningful. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you begin. Therapy is a process, and there is no expectation that you have the “right” words or know exactly where to start. My goal is to create a comfortable, judgment-free space where you can be yourself, feel heard, and begin taking steps toward the changes you want to make.
I bring more than 20 years of counseling experience, along with a genuine curiosity about each person’s unique story and strengths. My approach is warm, collaborative, practical, and nonjudgmental—I believe therapy works best when you feel understood rather than analyzed or judged. I combine evidence-based approaches such as CBT, DBT, solution-focused therapy, trauma-informed care, and expressive techniques, tailoring treatment to the individual rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach. One of my greatest strengths is helping clients make sense of experiences that may have felt confusing, overwhelming, or difficult to explain. I particularly value working with neurodivergent clients, individuals navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, autism, relationship challenges, and major life transitions. I strive to create a space where clients can be authentic, explore difficult topics safely, recognize their existing strengths, and develop practical tools that they can actually use in everyday life.
My ideal clients are adults and adolescents who are ready to better understand themselves, work through challenges, and create meaningful change in their lives. I especially enjoy working with people navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, autism and neurodivergence, trauma, relationship concerns, self-esteem, life transitions, or feeling stuck and unsure of what comes next. I work particularly well with clients who may have felt misunderstood, judged, or like they never quite fit into traditional expectations. You don’t have to arrive with a clear diagnosis or a perfectly defined goal—sometimes knowing that something isn’t working is enough to begin. Whether you want to develop practical coping skills, improve relationships, understand yourself more deeply, heal from past experiences, or simply feel more confident and comfortable being yourself, I will meet you where you are and work collaboratively toward the changes that matter to you.
I use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help clients understand the connection between their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors—and how those patterns can influence the way they experience themselves and the world around them. Together, we identify unhelpful thought patterns, explore whether those thoughts are accurate or serving them well, and develop healthier and more balanced ways of responding. I believe CBT should be practical and individualized rather than feeling like a worksheet or homework assignment. Depending on the client and their goals, we may use cognitive restructuring, behavioral strategies, problem-solving, exposure-based techniques, coping skills, and between-session practice. I also integrate CBT with other approaches, including DBT, trauma-informed care, solution-focused therapy, and psychoeducation, when those approaches better fit the client's needs. My goal is to help clients develop skills they can use outside of therapy—so they can better manage difficult emotions, challenge patterns that keep them stuck, make intentional choices, and feel more confident handling life's challenges.
I use Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients develop greater psychological flexibility—the ability to experience difficult thoughts and emotions without allowing them to control their choices or keep them from living a meaningful life. Rather than trying to eliminate every uncomfortable thought or feeling, we work together to understand them, make space for them, and learn how to respond in ways that align with the person you want to be. In practice, I use ACT techniques such as mindfulness, cognitive defusion, acceptance, values exploration, and committed action. We may explore the difference between what you can control and what you cannot, identify the values that are most important to you, and develop small, realistic steps toward a life that feels more authentic and fulfilling. I particularly appreciate ACT because it allows clients to move away from the idea that they have to “fix” themselves before they can live the life they want. My approach is compassionate, practical, and individualized, helping clients build a healthier relationship with their thoughts and emotions while taking meaningful action toward their goals.
I use Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients build practical skills for managing intense emotions, navigating difficult relationships, and responding to stressful situations more effectively. I focus on helping clients understand that their emotions are valid while also developing new ways to respond when those emotions feel overwhelming. In sessions, I may incorporate DBT skills such as mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. We might work on identifying emotional triggers, reducing impulsive or reactive responses, communicating needs more effectively, setting healthy boundaries, and developing strategies for getting through difficult moments without making the situation worse. I use DBT in an individualized and flexible way rather than expecting every client to follow a rigid program. I often integrate DBT skills with CBT, ACT, trauma-informed care, and solution-focused approaches based on each client's needs and goals. My goal is to give clients practical tools they can use in their everyday lives while helping them develop greater self-awareness, emotional resilience, and confidence in handling life's challenges.
I use Motivational Interviewing (MI) to help clients explore their own reasons for change without feeling pressured, judged, or told what they “should” do. I believe meaningful change is more likely to happen when clients feel heard, respected, and empowered to make their own decisions. In sessions, I use curiosity, reflective listening, open-ended questions, affirmations, and collaborative conversations to help clients identify their values, strengths, goals, and any ambivalence they may have about making changes. We explore both sides of difficult decisions and look at what may be getting in the way, while also identifying the client's own motivation and readiness for change. I often use MI alongside CBT, DBT, ACT, trauma-informed care, and solution-focused therapy. This approach can be especially helpful when clients know they want something to change but feel stuck, uncertain, overwhelmed, or conflicted about where to begin. My goal is not to convince clients to change, but to help them discover their own reasons for change and develop realistic, achievable steps toward the life they want.
I use an eclectic approach because I believe therapy should be tailored to the individual rather than expecting every client to fit into one specific therapeutic model. With more than 20 years of experience, I draw from a variety of evidence-based approaches—including CBT, DBT, ACT, trauma-informed therapy, solution-focused therapy, psychoeducation, and expressive techniques—to create a treatment approach that fits each client’s needs, personality, experiences, and goals. In practice, this means we may use different strategies at different points in therapy. One client may benefit from learning CBT skills to challenge unhelpful thought patterns, while another may need ACT strategies to clarify their values and move forward despite difficult emotions. Someone else may benefit from DBT skills for emotional regulation or interpersonal effectiveness. I continually assess what is helpful and adjust our approach as we work together. My eclectic approach allows me to be flexible, creative, and responsive rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all model. My goal is to meet clients where they are, build on their existing strengths, and provide practical tools and therapeutic strategies that feel relevant to their lives and meaningful to their goals.