Roxy Johnson
With 23 years of experience in emergency departments, hospice care, pediatric social work, and dedicated therapy for adults and children, I offer a steady, compassionate space for healing. I am EMDR-trained and skilled in Bessel van der Kolk’s body-brain trauma approaches, I help you process deep pain, calm your nervous system, reconnect with yourself, and move forward at your own pace.
First session
Starting therapy can feel a little nerve-wracking, so I keep our first session simple, warm, and structured so you know exactly what’s happening. Here is how we’ll spend our time together: Getting the Big Picture: We’ll start with a relaxed, initial assessment to chat about what’s going on in your life right now, what brought you to therapy, and how your mind and body are feeling. You never have to dive into deep trauma details on day one—we go entirely at a pace that feels safe for you. Building a Gentle Game Plan: Towards the end of our time, we’ll put together a brief, clear treatment plan. We'll talk about your personal goals, how tools like EMDR or body-brain approaches might fit in, and what our path forward looks like. Walking Away with Clarity: You’ll leave our first meeting knowing that you have a steady partner in your corner, a clear idea of where we’re heading, and a structured plan to get you there.M
Strengths
The greatest strengths I bring to therapy are a deeply grounded, unshockable presence and an intuitive ability to help people feel safe. Having spent decades in high-intensity environments like the ER, hospice, and specialized trauma care, I don't get overwhelmed by heavy emotions or complex pain. I bring deep empathy, authentic warmth, and a steady calm that allows my clients to drop their guard and process their hard experiences at their own pace.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are teens (13–17) and adults who feel stuck, exhausted, or on edge from the weight of past stress, loss, or trauma. They might be dealing with anxiety, hyper-vigilance, childhood wounds, or the emotional toll of a difficult life transition. They don't need to have everything figured out before walking through my door—they just need to be ready to work together, try new body-brain tools like EMDR, and take gentle, steady steps toward feeling safe, grounded, and peaceful again.
Treatment methods
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
While EMDR and somatic tools help process the physical and emotional weight of past trauma, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) gives us a practical, compassionate roadmap for living in the present. Trauma often convinces us that we have to fight, suppress, or completely eliminate painful thoughts and anxiety before we can start living our lives. ACT flips that script: Making Room for Uncomfortable Feelings: Instead of spending energy exhausting yourself by fighting anxious thoughts or painful memories, ACT teaches you how to soften around those feelings. We learn to acknowledge them without letting them take the wheel or control your actions. Unhooking from Unhelpful Thoughts: Trauma creates strong internal narratives like "I'm not safe" or "I'm broken." ACT gives you simple, practical tools to "unhook" from these thoughts so they lose their power over your day-to-day choices. Getting Back to What Truly Matters to You: Healing isn't just about reducing symptoms—it’s about building a life that feels meaningful. We will identify your core values (like connection, peace, freedom, or authenticity) and take small, steady steps toward a life guided by what you care about most, rather than a life driven by fear or avoidance.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
At its heart, Person-Centered Therapy means that you are the expert on your own life—not me. My role isn't to judge you, analyze you, or force you into a box; it’s to walk alongside you as a steady, compassionate partner. After 23 years in emergency departments, hospice care, and crisis work, I know that deep healing only happens when you feel genuinely safe and heard. Here is what Person-Centered Therapy looks like in our work together: Radical Acceptance & Non-Judgment: You get to bring your whole, authentic self into our sessions—including the messy, confusing, or painful parts. You will never have to worry about being "too much" or saying the wrong thing. Going at Your Safe Pace: Trauma processing can’t be rushed. While I bring specialized tools like EMDR and ACT to our sessions, you are always in the driver's seat regarding when and how deep we go. Trusting Your Inner Capacity to Heal: I don't view you as someone who needs to be "fixed." Instead, I focus on creating a warm, grounded environment where your natural resilience can emerge and lead the way forward.
EMDR
When we experience trauma or severe stress, our brains sometimes get overwhelmed and store those memories "stuck" in their raw, vivid form. Years later, a sight, sound, or feeling can trigger that memory, making your nervous system react as if the danger is happening all over again in the present. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based approach designed to help your brain reprocess those stuck memories so they finally feel like they belong in the past. Here is what EMDR looks like in our work together: Unstucking the Memory, Not Retraumatizing You: Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn't require you to describe every painful detail of your past out loud. Instead, we use gentle bilateral stimulation (like side-to-side eye movements or tapping) to help your brain process the memory while your body stays grounded in the present safety of my office. Calming Your Physical Reaction: As the memory is reprocessed, its physical charge softens. What once caused a racing heart, tight chest, or overwhelming panic gradually becomes just a neutral fact of your history—something that happened to you, but no longer controls your present. Replacing Negative Beliefs: Trauma often leaves behind heavy internal beliefs like "I am unsafe," "It was my fault," or "I am broken." EMDR helps your mind naturally replace those with true, adaptive beliefs like "I am safe now," "I did the best I could," or "I am strong and capable." Grounded in Body-Brain Science: Built on the neurodevelopmental and somatic principles of Bessel van der Kolk’s work, our EMDR sessions move at a gentle, safe pace—ensuring your nervous system feels regulated every step of the way.
Trauma-Informed Care
Being "trauma-informed" isn't just a buzzword to me—it is the foundational lens through which I view every single interaction. With 23 years of experience in emergency departments, hospice care, and specialized therapy, I understand that trauma fundamentally alters how a person experiences safety, trust, and control. Trauma-informed care means shifting the question from "What is wrong with you?" to "What happened to you, and how has your body learned to survive it?" Here is how trauma-informed care shows up in our sessions: Safety First, Always: Physical and emotional safety are our absolute top priorities. Before we ever touch past memories or hard experiences, we spend time building grounding tools and establishing a steady, reliable environment where your nervous system feels secure. You Retain Total Control: Trauma strips away choices, so healing requires giving choice back to you. You are always in the driver’s seat. You decide what we talk about, how fast we move, and when we pause. You will never be pushed to share anything before you feel ready. Collaboration & Transparency: There are no secrets, pop quizzes, or clinical judgment in our work together. I explain the "why" behind the tools we use (like EMDR, ACT, or somatic practices) so you always know what to expect and feel like an equal partner in your own healing. Honoring Your Survival Strategies: The ways you’ve coped—whether through hyper-vigilance, emotional shutdown, anxiety, or people-pleasing—were once smart strategies your body used to protect you. We view these responses with compassion rather than shame as we gently replace them with tools that serve you better today.
Location
Virtual sessions
In-person sessions101 E 8th St, Vancouver, WA 98660, Suite 110
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Licensed in
- WashingtonLicense SWI.LW.60084795