Ryan Johnson (he/him)

I am a culturally humble/aware counselor. this means that I am aware of my privilege as a white male who recognizes the privilege I bring with me, but my role in the counseling session is to be a passenger down the road to the betterment of the client's mental health; the client will always be the driver and will define which roads they wish to take.

I identify as a gay, cis male. This allows me to provide compassion and awareness of LGBT/Queer issues in the counseling session and the counseling experience as a whole.

I am a culturally humble/aware counselor. this means that I am aware of my privilege as a white male and am aware that there are cultural differences that influence behaviors and individual's view of society and the world as a whole. I am trained in Hispanic culture and can apply my training to any culture when needed.

In session, I stress that validation, recognition, discussion, and regulation of emotions is welcomed and encouraged. No emotion that a client feels is invalidated or questioned, and will be explored only to the depth that the client is comfortable in exploring. All boundaries are respected, no matter the level to which they are set.

I like to allow my sessions to flow freely like a conversation led by the client, with occasional interjections/comments from me in order to guide the client into telling their "story" or their personal reasons for coming to therapy, using additional and varying interventions/methods as they become appropriate in session.