Mental Health Matters: Blog Series Highlighting Black Therapists
- girlcode_therapy
- Oct 20, 2020
- 3 min read
Shayla Johnson is a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 9 years of experience as a family and individual counselor. She specializes in addiction issues, women issues, and family counseling. Shayla's counseling style is warm and interactive. Her areas of focus are experiential therapy, 12 step recovery, family systems, couples issues, career counseling, life transitions, and solution focused counseling. She is passionate about equality and racial justice and is motivated to help families and individuals reach the level of change they desire.
Shayla is also the co-founder of Growing Into Resilient Leaders (G.I.R.L. Code), a Therapy Blog and is a Licensed Professional Counselor-Mental Health Service Provider. She is also a member of the Delta Sigma Theta, Sorority, Inc. and enjoys serving those within her community.
1. What led you to pursue a career in the mental health field
Shayla Johnson: My 8th grade math teacher planted a seed in me one day out of the blue. She noticed that I was quiet, but very observant and suggested I look into psychology as a career. I’ve always had strangers come up and share their life story with me, but I noticed it more and more after my teacher pointed that out. Nearly 20 years later, here I am, and I couldn’t see myself doing anything different.
2. Why does mental health matter to you?
SJ: Mental Health in the Black community is something I’m very passionate about these days. Through my own healing, I became aware of how generational traumas and unhealed wounds can keep us stuck in old patterns. Being able to heal from emotional wounds in childhood can give us a new sense of freedom and growth as adults. I hope to see more Black families in therapy so that their children and grandchildren can pass down the benefits of healing and recovery instead of generational pain and suffering.
3. What are some areas that you specialize in?
SJ: I specialize in Family Counseling. I believe that a lot can be learned about a person by looking at the family environment they live or grew up in. The family environment can also tell a lot about how people cope and communicate. I also specialize in addiction and working with women.
4. In your experience, what are some of the benefits of counseling? What are some of the challenges?
SJ: Aside from healing and growth, I believe the main benefits are better communication and boundaries. I also believe counseling can help people learn not to react, but to take time to process a situation before responding with unhealthy behaviors.
The biggest challenge to counseling can be “looking in the mirror” and recognizing my role in some things that have happened.
5. What are some good things to know when looking for a therapist?
SJ: At any time, you can decide to find another therapist if it isn’t a good fit for you. Also, ask questions about sliding fee scales if finances are an issue for you.
6. Any recommendations on ways to protect your mental health during this difficult time we are in?
SJ: Many of us are wanting to stay connected and aware of what’s going on from the pandemic, to the election, to protests. My advice is that it is okay to “unplug” from the news and social media. Images that we consume online can lead to second-hand trauma and affect our ability to cope.
7. What is your favorite quote or daily affirmation that really resonates with you?
SJ: My favorite daily affirmation is “If you water it, it will grow.” That short quote is a reminder to nourish and replenish your body. Whether that’s drinking more water, being mindful of the foods I eat, and being aware of the images I consume. My houseplants are also a metaphor of that quote. My plants droop and wrinkle up when I forget to water them. But when I water them, they come back alive. This is a reminder than when I pour back into myself, that I am resilient too.
8. If you could recommend any form of self-care to our followers what would that be?
SJ: My self-care tip goes along with my favorite affirmation. I sometimes need to access what areas in my life need “watering” and nourishing and that’s how I plan my self-care for the day or week.
9. How can someone reach out to you about making an appointment for a session?
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