Ashley Johnson

I've spent my entire career around children - first as a classroom teacher, then as a school counselor, then as a community and crisis therapist. Fifteen years in, my focus hasn't changed: I'm here for kids. I work with children, adolescents, and young adults in North Carolina who are dealing with anxiety, school difficulties, behavioral challenges, grief, trauma, and the general weight of growing up in a complicated world.I currently provide crisis counseling at a hospital emergency department, which means I'm comfortable sitting with families in their hardest moments - not just their in-between ones. I offer telehealth sessions Tuesday through Friday (10am–3pm), and I'm in-network with most major North Carolina insurance plans, including Blue Cross Blue Shield NC, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and Oscar. I'm accepting new clients now.

I meet kids where they are - not where adults wish they were. My approach is integrative, drawing from CBT, trauma-informed care, and strength-based techniques, but what that actually looks like depends entirely on the child in front of me. A 45-minute session with a 9-year-old and a 45-minute session with a 16-year-old are completely different experiences, and I know the difference.Sessions are structured enough to be productive but flexible enough to actually connect. I don't rush toward solutions - I pay close attention to what the child or teen is communicating beneath their behavior, because that's usually where the real work lives. I also believe in keeping parents appropriately in the loop, because kids heal faster when their whole environment is supportive, not just their therapy hour.

The first session is low-pressure. I'll spend most of it listening - asking about what's been going on, what you've already tried, and what you're hoping changes. There's no expectation to share everything right away, and there's no script we have to follow.By the end, I'll have a clear sense of how I can help and what a realistic path forward looks like. For younger children, I'll often spend part of the first session talking with the parent or caregiver too, because context matters. My goal is for both the child and the family to leave that first conversation feeling like they found the right person - not just a therapist. Availability note: I see clients Tuesday through Friday, 10am–3pm, with evening slots occasionally available. I recommend booking a consultation call first so we can make sure the timing works for your family before scheduling a full session.