My name is Teresa Torres-Johnson, I have over thirteen years of experience working with issues such as anxiety disorder, substance abuse, addiction, PTSD, autism, LGBTQIA+, stress, and couples counseling. I was a teacher for some years and worked with counseling adolescents to geriatrics.
My approach
My approach to counseling is eclectic in the sense that not everyone fits a mold. An interpersonal approach is used to link environmental stressors to issues. I want to support self-efficacy to reduce the symptoms. I also use Cognitive behavior therapy to introduce new adaptive learning experiences and exchange the maladaptive learning processes. I also use mindfulness counseling to have you pay attention to what you are feeling and understand your present thoughts without the sense of judgment.
My focus
In my years of experience, I worked with ages 11 years to 70 years old. I worked with adolescents in the school system and military personnel dealing with PTSD, addiction, and relationship issues. I have worked with the LGBTQIA community dealing with family and community issues. I worked with women dealing with identity, domestic violence, divorce, sexual assault, childhood issues in non-judgment arena.
My communication style
My approach to communication I use is active listening, along with feedback with compassion to build confidence in the session
My journey to mental healthcare
I used to be a teacher working in a low socioeconomic area. The student would often talk to me about issues going on at home. I knew that I was not equipped at the educational level I was presently at, so I went back to school. My heart for people drove me in this direction, so now I combine both to assure everyone can have a better quality of life by changing the perspective they are currently living.
My goals for you
Goal setting is about the client, so I use brainstorming to develop realistic goals from their perspective. Then we break down each goal into smaller steps to identify possible obstacles to be able to deal with them and finally, schedule a realistic timeline to complete each goal.
My first session with you
The first session will address the concerns and history of the client as well as the background to get to know the client. I base each session on the client and their goals for therapy and myself. I will introduce my experience and my goals for each session.