AJ Johnson
AJ Johnson
ASSOCIATE MARRIAGE & fAMILY THERAPIST
Gender
Non-Binary
Ethnicity/Nationality
Multi-racial
(Filipinx, Native American, White)
Language / Dialect
English
community
12-Step Friendly
Body Positivity / Health at Every Size
LGBTQIAA+ / Queer Identified
Neurodivergent Friendly
Racial Justice Allied
Sex Positive / Kink Friendly
Sex Worker Positive
Transgender Competent
Familiarity with Faith
Protestant
Catholicism
Buddhism
Focus
Anxiety
Codependency
Cultural & Systemic Oppression
Depression
Historical / Intergenerational Trauma
LGBTQ+
Multi-Racial / Bi-Racial / Multi-Ethnic Experience
Relationship Issues
Marriage Issues
Suicidal Ideation / Thoughts
Trauma and PTSD
Treatment
Child or Adolescent Therapy
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Somatic Therapy (Body-Centered Therapy)
Trauma Focused
EMDR
Modality
Children / Teens
Family
Individual
Relationships (Couples & Non-Monogamous)
Group
About
Hi, I’m AJ! I am a therapist with Empowered Mind Therapy Center specializing in providing culturally responsive, trauma-informed and liberation-centered therapy for QTBIPOC and neurodivergent adolescents and adults who are seeking support to process trauma, explore intersectional identities and build meaningful connections with themselves and their communities. My therapeutic approach is grounded in the belief that the challenging things that we face in the present, including things like anxiety, depression, irritability, avoidance, overwhelm and people-pleasing, once began as necessary and helpful responses to difficult experiences and to navigating systems of oppression. Drawing from EMDR, IFS/parts work, and somatic practices, I support folks in processing these experiences, identifying underlying needs and reconnecting with their bodies in ways that allow them access a wider range of responses to life’s challenges.
In supporting people to recover the inherent sense of worthiness that oppressive systems strip away and to shift out of survival responses into more agency, therapy becomes an act of resistance that empowers people to live, relate, and participate in community in ways that contribute to collective liberation.
Grounded in humility and respect for the lived experience of my clients, my approach is collaborative and person-centered, recognizing my clients as the expert of their own experiences and positioning myself as a fellow traveler on the human journey. My identities as a neurodivergent, multiracial, queer, trans non-binary clinician with my own lived experience of trauma and healing drives my ongoing commitment to anti-oppressive, neurodiversity affirming and decolonizing practices. I deeply believe in the liberatory potential of therapy and my devotion to this work is in reverence to the folks who have supported me, both professionally and personally, in my own journey out of survival mode and into a fuller expression of aliveness.
Qualifications
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist with CA Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) of California as Amanda Johnson,
AMFT #161165, supervised by Jessica Hernandez,
LCSW # 113712
Years in Practice: 7
Master of Couples & Family Therapy, University of Oregon
Location
Walnut Creek, CA
Online / remote services available
Pricing
$150 per session
Reduced Fee Program: $150/session for 24 sessions for BIPOC and QTBIPOC folks; please inquire.
Accepted Insurance
Out of Network
