Today we’d like to introduce you to Charisse Johns.
Hi Charisse, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I was a quiet and observant kid who loved being out in nature and connecting to people, animals, places, and things in meaningful ways. Deep conversations and thinking about the world differently from my peers filled my soul but also left me feeling isolated and lonely at times. I began to think that I was “weird” and that there was something “wrong with me” because other kids didn’t seem to think, talk, or connect the way I did. There was nothing wrong with how the other kids were by any means, but I struggled to connect with people my age. I began to dim the light that I innately had in an effort to fit in with my peers and avoid rejection.
My life has not been an easy road. Divorced parents, a dysfunctional family system, and my own traumas caused my own internal system to become quite protective. I was in survival mode to get through the pain, confusion, and lack of knowledge about how to regulate and feel my own emotions relating to what I experienced throughout my childhood.
I disconnected from who I was subconsciously and with my body for years because I felt that the world was not a safe place. It was filled with rejection, bullying, and criticism to say the least. But there were certain environments here and there that allowed for glimpses of my core self to peek through the protections, walls, and masks I had brilliantly built for myself. One of these spaces that provided enough safety for these glimpses was in the therapy room during my own therapy.
I was 16 years old when the conscious desire to become a therapist became planted and rooted in my soul. I had an innate knowledge that creating a safe space for healing and true expression of self for others was how I wanted to spend my life.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The road to where I am now has been quite the adventure. I knew the logistics of becoming an LPC (Licensed Professional Counselor): I had to get my Bachelor’s in Psychology or Sociology, then go on to get my master’s in counseling, and then finally take the National Counseling Exam and then BAM! I am a therapist. Sounds pretty simple, right? In a sense, it was. Having an end goal in mind with steps on how to get there made this goal obtainable for me. I had great support, I loved my studies, and I had a great experience in school. Doors seemed to open for me at the right time. While much of this journey was seamless, there were things that I had to endure in order to get to where I am now as a therapist.
Some things that I have learned throughout this process are to let go of control, listen to my intuition, and go where the Universe is leading me. What I thought I wanted to do before is similar to what I am doing now, but in a different and much more aligned way than I could have ever imagined!
I started out my counseling career at the children’s advocacy center working with kids, teens, and their families that had either been abused themselves or had a loved one who had been abused. I fell in love with working with trauma during this time and gained immeasurable experience, but I felt an urge to expand my knowledge. So, from the advocacy center, I went to work at a partial hospitalization program that was adults only, where I was exposed to all sorts of presenting concerns such as severe anxiety and depression, mood and personality disorders, as well as PTSD and trauma. In this role, I was faced with a lot of circumstances that would refine and develop me as a therapist and as a person. I faced many challenges, which led me to identify what I value as well as stand up for myself and advocate for my patients. I also learned the important skill of letting something go that was no longer serving me in order to let new, more aligned opportunities in. Practicing this guided me to being hired at an eating disorder hospital. A friend of a friend told me that the eating recovery center was one of the only places in the area looking for new employees during COVID and I was really excited to explore new avenues of therapy. I had never considered working with eating disorders and had no knowledge on the subject prior to being hired, but I ended up getting a job as a program therapist, which eventually led to a primary therapist.
This was a pivotal moment in my life that changed the trajectory of what I thought my career was going to look like. I fell in love with the population. I started studying, researching and got a supervisor who specialized in eating disorders so that I could develop a strong foundation and could truly impact the population I was working with. It was the hardest job I have ever had, but also one of the most rewarding. I learned to witness and sit with the wide range of emotions, pain, and discomfort of someone going through eating disorder recovery. Through sitting with people in their experience, I realized that they were able to move through those emotions and get through another day. I learned I didn’t need to “fix” anyone. My role as a therapist is to sit with them, gently and compassionately, in whatever it is that they were going through. I saw the life and light come back into my patient’s eyes when they began to nourish themselves and take care of their bodies again. This sparked curiosity about my own mind-body connection in my own therapy and the journey of how to help others do the same in a safe and gentle way. I stepped into this role wanting to help others, not really thinking about myself, but it really taught me how to take care of myself first so that I could hold space for others.
As you know, we’re big fans of Mind-Body Connection Therapy. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My business is a private practice mental health service that focuses on the mind-body connection. I use Internal Family Systems and Attachment-Focused EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) to help clients heal holistically from traumas or adverse experiences as well as any repeated behaviors, thought patterns, or triggers that are causing someone distress. What I love about this approach is that you do not have to be at a certain level of “severity” to seek out therapy. Anything that is causing you distress in the present can be helped with IFS and EMDR; it is not limited to a traumatic experience. Another thing that sets me apart is that while I don’t work with eating disorders as a primary presenting concern, I do use an Anti-diet and HAES (Health at Every Size) approach as well. My clients find safety in our sessions, and rest assured that there will be no shaming around food or body.
Something that I strive for in the therapy space is authenticity, both for myself and, in turn, for my clients. With that being said, I am usually dressed pretty casual. I don’t wear shoes most of the time; we can move around or sit on the floor if the client wants to, and I use blankets and fidget toys often. While this is a professional service and a professional setting, my goal is to create a space where my clients feel comfortable to be authentic and have their needs met while processing.
If you have experienced trauma or distressing events that left you in a state of survival, you can lose your sense of mind-body connection due to your body entering survival mode. I’ve found in both my personal and clinical experiences that disconnection from our bodies is a protective coping mechanism that we may or may not be conscious of. When we lose this connection, we miss out on wisdom and communication from ourselves that is vital to honoring our needs, cultivating self-esteem, healing from poor body image, and so much more.
I approach all of my clients holistically, including mind, body, and soul. My approach to trauma work is gentle and self-paced according to when their internal system is ready. I utilize EMDR and IFS techniques as well as a nervous system lens to get to know all the parts of you that have been burdened so that those parts can feel seen, heard, and heal. I also provide clients with an education behind the “whys”, coping skills, and integrate resources into their internal system so that they can feel confident and safe both inside and outside of my office. I may recommend additional support to the “team,” such as yoga/movement, reiki, chiropractic, acupuncture, or psychiatric medication. We, as humans, heal in the context of safe relationships. I am here to walk alongside you gently, compassionately, and patiently.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
Something most people might not know about the business is that I am going to begin training to become a yoga instructor in March of 2024. I am not 100% sure about what this will look like or how it will integrate into Mind-Body Connection Therapy yet, but I hope to offer trauma-informed yoga classes that provide a safe space for all body types, as well as to incorporate gentle movement into the therapy room during counseling sessions.
I am an enneagram 6w5 and dog mama of the most sassy pup, Maya. I enjoy spending time in nature, “hammocking,” yoga, traveling, attending concerts, and spending time on my family’s ranch with our horses. My favorite foods are Thai (Pad Thai is my fave) and Tex-Mex!
Pricing:
- $185 (Initial appointment and 60 min sessions)
- $170 (45-50 min sessions)
- $270 (90 min sessions)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.mind-bodyconnectiontherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mind.bodyconnectiontherapy/
