Madeline Johnson

BIO I was born and raised on an island off the coast of Maine, where I spent my childhood playing in the woods and building imaginary worlds. At Bennington College in Vermont I studied film and philosophy, and since then I have worked as a gardener, massage therapist, painter, early childhood educator, and teacher to young neurodiverse adults. My fascination with human development and my love for working one-on-one with people led me to the counseling field. Ten years after my first degree, I earned my Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology with a focus in Creative Arts from University of Maine at Farmington. Love and friends have brought me to beautiful Gainesville, Florida, where my practice is taking root. In my first year as a therapist, I worked at the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) with children with complex trauma caused by abuse. There I completed basic training in EMDR with a focus on child and adolescent applications. I continue to contract with the CAC part time and greatly enjoy this intensive work, that also involves a great deal of play and joy. PHILOSOPHY Psychological symptoms, like anxiety and depression, carry the stories of unmet needs, unspoken longings and the parts of ourselves that have not yet found recognition or care. Suffering is only half of the story. Symptoms are doorways through which something vital is trying to emerge — a desire, a longing for connection, a dream of the self. Therapy is built on the uncommon experience of being deeply heard by a listener who is attuned to these stories. In our sessions, we will find a pace and a method that feels safe, moving, and alive. I invite the use of expressive arts - sand tray, movement, music - any and all mediums that give voice to experiences that cannot be thought or verbalized. Every therapeutic process is as unique and complex as the person at its center. ETHIC While I am a believer in the therapeutic process, my work is grounded in the fact that the most basic needs must be met first. I am guided by an ethic of solidarity. To me, solidarity is a commitment to the wellbeing of my community, to the disruption of oppressive systems, and to the building of loving coalitions. My practice is attuned to the multiplicities of sexuality, and based on a harm reduction approach to addiction. I am a Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern with two years of clinical experience. I am currently supervised by Jorelle Degen, LMHC, and Jamie Saunders, LMHC.