Stefanie Johnson, LPC

Stefanie Johnson is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Wisconsin with 14 years of experience in the mental health field. She has worked across a range of care settings - including inpatient hospital units, intensive outpatient programs, in-home therapy, case management, and outpatient clinics - which has given her broad experience with many levels of clinical need. Her clinical work has focused on depression, anxiety, complex trauma and post-traumatic stress, as well as severe and persistent mental illness such as schizophrenia. She has also addressed family and relationship conflicts, anger, grief, parenting challenges, caregiver stress, and work-related compassion fatigue.

Stefanie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and a Master of Science in Educational Psychology - Community Counseling from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Early in her career she spent about a year working as a case manager for the Bureau of Milwaukee Child Welfare, which helped shape her interest in providing direct therapeutic support. Personal experience with mental health in her own family informs her empathic perspective and commitment to helping others find relief and resilience.

Her approach is holistic and person-centered, meaning she tailors care to each person rather than applying a one-size-fits-all protocol. Her work is grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and strongly influenced by Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT); she also integrates mindfulness practices, values-based and solution-focused techniques. Stefanie is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma work. She aims to facilitate collaborative conversations that help clients identify practical coping skills and make meaningful changes over time. After taking a few years away from outpatient therapy to be with her young family, she now provides online counseling that fits both her clients needs and her family life.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Stefanie integrates several evidence-informed approaches into her online practice to meet each person where they are. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and developing practical skills to shift them - it is often used for anxiety, depression, and mood-related concerns. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness - it can be especially helpful for intense emotions, relationship challenges, and stress management. Stefanie is also trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a trauma-focused method that helps people process distressing memories and reduce their ongoing impact.

Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and Stefanie treats that choice as a collaborative conversation. She works with clients to explore goals, preferences, and what has or has not helped in the past, then tailors a plan that may draw from one or more approaches depending on individual needs.

Online therapy with licensed professionals offers practical flexibility - sessions can be scheduled as video calls or phone sessions, and shorter exchanges are possible through live chat or text-based messaging. This range of options can make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives, bridge geographic distance, and maintain continuity of care while working toward meaningful change.