EMPOWERED LIVING
Patti Johnson, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist PSY23520
About Dr. Patti Johnson
I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and educator with a Doctoral Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Teaching (MAT). I have worked as a therapist, adjunct professor, and teacher in settings to include private practice groups, public schools, colleges, and graduate universities. Currently I have a private practice in California.
My teaching experience includes being an adjunct professor in university settings providing instruction in advanced counseling skills, Integrative Psychotherapy, Advance Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Group Psychotherapy and Positive Psychology to graduate students at the master’s and doctoral level. Prior to earning my doctoral degree, I was a teacher and specialist in learning styles and gifted education with 12 years of experience teaching children. This has enriched my clinical practice with a good understanding of the developmental process throughout the lifespan. My master’s degree in teaching has also enabled me to help my clients learn, integrate, and apply the new understanding and skills learned in therapy to their daily lives.
Due to my extensive work with clients with anxiety disorders, I developed and created an app for anxiety management, called EmMa, the Emotional Manager for anxiety. This app was developed to help individuals get relief from anxiety, manage worries, and stop panic attacks. Learn more at https://emotionalmanager.com/
My Approach To Therapy
I want you to feel better and happier. I want your relationships to improve, for you to develop the insight and tools to change negative thinking and behavior patterns that create stress, conflict, and unhappiness in your life. This is the reason I became a therapist. As I observed myself and the people around me, I was intensely curious about what causes negative emotions, reactive behavior, and poor habits. I wanted to know what kept these emotions and behaviors in place, resistant to change, and how to facilitate positive changes. I wanted to know how we move from collapsing, to coping, to thriving and beyond to excelling. I’ve spent most of my adult life studying human behavior and applying what I have learned to enrich my life and the life of my clients. I consider myself a facilitator of process, using research-based practices, to help you live your life happier, more fully and effectively.
There are many theoretical approaches to therapy, but the most important aspects, regardless of the orientation, are partnership, communication, collaboration, trust, understanding, setting goals, and taking action. Together we will collaborate to identify areas of concerns and your goals for therapy. While active listening is an essential component of any therapy, my approach is also interactive where you will be provided with feedback, recommendations and given tools to apply in your daily life.
I primarily use an integrative approach from scientifically based practices. I have advanced training in the following areas: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Positive Psychology, a strength-based therapy. I also integrate mindfulness to create a present moment focus, which helps in managing anxiety, worrying and depression. We will also explore the impact of early childhood and family attachments as they apply to your current functioning. These different, yet complementary therapies, provide an integrative approach to therapy that work together to create awareness, insight, and the development of effective coping skills to manage life’s difficulties.
If you are interested in working with me, please email me, and we can set up a time for a phone call for you to ask me any questions you may have, and to see if you are a good candidate for teletherapy with me at this time.
