LGBT therapists in Westerville, OH

I have a bachelor's of Arts Degree, double majoring in Social Services and Religious Studies, a Master of Arts Degree in Psychology and the degree of Master of Social Work, from Cleveland State University.

I believe in a holistic approach to mental health. This means that all aspects of a person are included and considered in our work together. I assist those I work with in a variety of areas including, but not limited to:

Anxiety

Stress management

Depression

Grief and loss

Life transitions (including becoming an empty nester, divorce, retirement, aging with meaning)

Management of health issues (particularly pain and chronic health challenges)

Trauma (including religious trauma, sexual abuse and post-traumatic stress disorder)

I am an anti-racist and LGBTQ-Affirming trauma therapist who has worked with veterans, military personnel, and civilians for 20+ years. I am honored to work with clients on their self-defined goals to achieve more peaceful and satisfying lives, especially as related to healing mental injuries from discrimination and abuse.

My areas of expertise include workplace trauma, racial trauma, institutional betrayal, suicide prevention, family scapegoat abuse, workplace mobbing, and self-acceptance in a hostile world.

As a Queer, Xicana of Mexican, Indigenous, Irish, and Czech ancestry who was raised by a gay parent, I know from lived experience, the importance of culturally-responsive care that recognizes the harm of systemic and interpersonal oppression and stigma. I delight in working with people from diverse backgrounds and lived experiences including neurodiversity, various religious and spiritual communities, and people living with visible and invisible disabilities.

As a care provider for a person living with long COVID, I understand the challenges and importance of COVID-cautious lifestyles for people who have compromised immune systems or who want to avoid long COVID.

With a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz, an MSW from Washington University in St. Louis, and a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, my practice is rooted in research, celebration of clients' cultural traditions, and awareness that mistreatment, disadvantage, and cruelty cause people to suffer.

I actively work to identify and eradicate my own biases through anti-racist somatic practice and train other clinicians in decolonizing mental health care, psychological safety, and anti-racist suicide prevention.

I use evidence-based practices of Written Exposure Therapy, Motivational Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy.

Ka'ra Johnson is a LCSW-C, LCSW licensed in MD, VA, DC, and OH. She received both her Masters in Mental Health Counseling and Masters of Social Work from Capella University. She specializes in treating Trauma, Mood Disorders, Forensic Clients, Crisis Interventions and Life Transitions. Her modalities of therapy are: Trauma informed CBT, REBT and Motivational Interviewing.

I became a therapist because I believe our struggles deserve to be understood, not just fixed. Too often, people come to therapy feeling like a problem to be solved or a checklist to work through, and that's exactly what I want to push back against. My goal is to help you feel more human, not more clinical.

I earned my Master's in Social Work from Northern Kentucky University in 2014 and hold a certificate in ADHD treatment. I work with adults navigating ADHD, depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder, and I bring both professional training and personal familiarity to these areas. I know this stuff isn't abstract. It shows up in real life, in real ways, every day.

I specialize in helping clients navigating trauma, anxiety, panic disorder, depression, LGBTQ+ issues, grief, & much more. I earned my MSW from New York University in 2011 and have worked as a forensic social worker in NYC at The Legal Aid Society & have also worked with Gay Men's Health Crisis, Services for the Underserved, Footsteps & Office of the Appellate Defender. I moved to Los Angeles in 2017 and have been in private practice since 2018.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist with over a decade of counseling experience in a variety of environments. I am an LGBTQ* and neurodiverse celebratory therapist! I have always been drawn to hearing people's stories and want to know all about you-what are your passions? What are your stressors? How can we get you where you want to be? I firmly believe that everyone possesses both resiliency and a unique spark that makes them who they are. I love to help people find their strength and spark.