Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Johnson, LPC.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’ve always known I wanted to be a therapist. Growing up, I was basically the vault keeper of secrets for lots of my friends. I also was non-judgmental, inquisitive, and fascinated by other people’s life stories. Throughout the years, I’ve maintained those traits and have gained trust with clients as a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). I’ve served in a multitude of mental health settings – outpatient, respite, long-term treatment facilities – and with a diverse population, over the past 12 years. I was content with staying in an agency/organization setting; however, a life event occurred and transformed how I show up and serve others.
In 2023, my husband of 9 years died from alcoholic hepatitis. I became a solo parent with two young kids, ages 2 and 6. I took time off to grieve, figure out how to become both mom and dad to my kids, piece together a potential game plan of how to balance work and home life, and somehow find time to engage in self-care (#1 emphasized priority in the therapist realm). As a want-to-be perfectionist, I tried to keep my life together, and I did the best that I could. It worked for a little while, but then I noticed that I became ill more frequently, short-tempered with my kids and others, having difficulties with concentrating/making decisions, and at times go a few days without showering. I had hit a vertical wall where what was working before when there was two of us, was no longer working as a solo parent. I had to shift gears and the first gear that I shifted towards was taking a risk by leaving my stable job and venture out as a solopreneur. My number one intention: be the most present and available parent ever for my two children.
On November 1, 2024, I started up my own private practice: D3 Therapy Services. The name of my practice honors my late husband (nicknamed D3 by his friends). My specialty is aimed towards supporting other solo parents by honoring their grief, while they navigate the new normal with kids in tow. As a solo parent myself, I am able to relate with the moral/emotional conflict around widow’s fire, explore the potential of Ch. 2, acknowledge secondary losses (finances, relationships), and develop strategies on how to balance the mom and dad role as a solo parent. Just because I have experienced a spousal loss, I do not consider myself the expert of my client’s blueprint for their new normal. However, experiencing a spousal loss at a young age (ages 20-50) is not common and I have found that there is a need for relational support.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I don’t believe that a smooth road exists when addiction and loss are involved. The type of spousal loss that I experienced was an anticipatory loss. I knew with my husband’s addiction to alcohol and the progression of the disease, it was only a matter of when. As a therapist, I have knowledge on asking exploratory questions to understand how and why someone utilizes alcohol as a coping mechanism. But ethically, I was unable to use my therapeutic techniques on my spouse. I did make suggestions for him to attend treatment facilities, therapy, and other available resources (i.e. Alcoholics Anonymous), yet he was not ready nor willing to take action towards sobriety. Some of those recommendations were attached to threats of separation, in hopes that he would “fight for our family”. Personally, it was difficult to acknowledge and accept my husband’s choice and watch the addiction take him.
As a solo parent, I have and continue to experience certain challenges, such as maintaining a clean home (not easy to do anyway with small kids present), go through lots of legal hoops due to lack of husband having a will, having honest and open discussions with my children about death and acknowledging their fear of potentially losing another parent. There have been many times I sat down on the kitchen floor and cried, sat the kids in front of the TV to catch a breather, and even call a close friend to bring a gallon of milk to my house, because it was just too unbearable physically and emotionally to round up my kids to go to the grocery store. I’ve learned to lean in on my support system, because it does take a village to raise children.
As a solopreneur, I’ve had to learn business 101 on the fly. Therapists learn very little or nothing in school on how to run a private practice independently, so I have had to transform my introverted self into an extrovert. I began reaching out to other practitioners for support, do tons of research, attend networking events, and shift my mindset to CEO mode where I am solely responsible for my wins or failures. Where there is a will, there is a way, and I had nothing else to lose by starting up. After all, losing my husband to an addiction was a massive loss and has only made me realize how short of a time I have on this Earth and to better start enjoying it how I choose to.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) for the state of Texas. I specialize in grief/loss and life transitions, specifically for solo parents – widows/widowers with children. I hate to say it, but I have been told by clients that I am known for asking the hard rooted questions that makes someone cry in session. Honestly, I am a therapist that understands that fluff and surface leveled conversations are necessary, but in a therapy session, getting to the raw and mostly unseen parts is where the healing happens. My bread and butter are Solution-Focused Brief Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Narrative Therapy. I am a Certified Grief Informed Professional (CGP), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and a Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) provider. I have been in the counseling field for 12+ years, but outside of the training and certifications, what truly matters is connection – authenticity, trust, and compassion.
Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
Risk-taking, oh gosh! I will just say this: without taking a risk, there is no reward. I’ve had to stretch outside of my comfort zone many times since my husband’s death, and that includes taking some big risks. Of course, I do check in with my financial advisor quite a bit to ensure the risk I am about to pursue is something that I am capable of taking on. She basically was the one who gave me the green light to take the leap from the corporate world to solopreneur private practice. The most profound statement that she made that still resonates with me today: “If you fail, you can always go back to corporate life.” That is true, however, not what I desire in my life, at this time. So, why not try? I would hate to live a life of regret for not trying out private practice.
Pricing:
- $200/50-minute individual sessions
- – telehealth (virtual)
- – in person (office)
- – walk and talk (around DFW)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.d3therapyservices.com
- Instagram: @d3therapyservices
- LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ kristy-johnson-04b9a7341
Image Credits
Stephanie Allen-Galaviz, Yolanda Barton
