Kristy Johnsson
Psychotherapist -
We live in uncertain times, and now more than ever do I believe in empowering ourselves to understand our inner workings – not just psychologically but neurologically – not just conceptually but experientially. Getting a grasp on what our brilliant nervous systems are doing and then learning to support their natural healing capacity can be an immense game-changer.
I provide online counseling using a holistic nervous system approach called Somatic Therapy for anyone located in Wyoming, Florida, or Colorado. My passion is working with the entire nervous system, using what some people are calling “whole brain therapies”, in which I use somatic awareness as an integral part of therapy.
What is somatic awareness and why does it matter? “Somatic” refers to our subjective perception of our own body, including sensations in the body, impulses, urges, and awareness of our body’s position in space. By building somatic awareness, we can become aware of our autonomic nervous system, a branch of the nervous system that regulates much of our body’s systems and is responsible for keeping us safe, and so can subconsciously drive much of our emotional states and behavior. When we pay attention to our body during therapy, we notice how it responds to certain thoughts, beliefs, and memories, as well as to our environment. This then helps us develop a greater capacity to stay present while investigating and resolving old patterns, traumas, and emotions. This allows us to heal trauma – which also largely influences our beliefs, perceptions, chronic emotional states, and behaviors. We can also build emotional intelligence that results in a better relationship with ourselves and with others, as well as become more emotionally resilient.
All of this happens within the safety of our relationship, helping your nervous system feel connected and grounded in the present moment as we support its naturally capacity for healing.
It doesn’t matter what we’re bringing to the table, whether it be profound grief or mild anxiety, we don’t have to soldier through on our own. In our hyper individualistic society where we may subconsciously believe we need to “pull ourselves up by our bootstraps,” this is a radical notion, and even our nonjudgmental, authentic relationship alone can be deeply healing.
What both my clients and I have learned is that it is absolutely possible to change. I offer guidance and support from a place of integrity, from knowing the types of twists and turns of the journey, and integrating that with my professional experience.
Skills and Expertise
Trauma and PTSD
Trauma
Stress
Spirituality
Self Esteem
Mindfulness based therapy
Mood Disorders
Loss or Grief
Loss
Life Purpose
Life Coaching
Jealousy
Irritability
Isolation
Individuation
Inadequacy
Identity Issues
Highly Sensitive Persons
Helplessness and Victimhood
Guilt
grief
Family of Origin Issues
Fear
expats
Emptiness
Emotional Abuse
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Disturbance
Depression
college age
codependency-2
Breakups
Anxiety
Attachment Issues
Adult
Adjustment to College
Adjusting to Change / Life Transitions
Abandonment
Treatment Orientation
Experiential Therapy
Somatic
Trauma Focused Therapy
Therapy unique to each client
Rogerian
Person Centered Therapy
Mindfulness
Integral Psychotherapy
Ecotherapy/Nature-based
Modality