Margaret Johnston

Margaret Johnston is a licensed mental health counselor with 11 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people who feel stuck by stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, and problems with relationships or identity. She listens closely and meets people where they are so sessions feel straightforward and practical.

She trained at the University of North Florida and completed a Master of Clinical Psychotherapy in 2013. She also did a nine-month Clinical Pastoral Education internship in deep listening and spent time in the Talk program at Wounded Warrior. That background shapes how she holds space and how she listens for what matters most to each person.

In sessions she uses client-centered methods to reflect feelings and identify unmet emotional needs. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, attachment-based ideas, cognitive behavioral approaches, and emotionally focused techniques when they fit the client’s goals. The work often involves naming what gets in the way, exploring options, and planning steps toward a more meaningful life.

Margaret emphasizes cultural awareness and a strength-based stance. She describes herself as inclusive, secular, affirming, and nonjudgmental. People from LGBTQA, polyamorous, kink, and non-gendered communities are noted as welcome.

Her style blends steady listening with practical planning. Sessions aim to slow down painful memories when needed and to help clients build skills and purpose so everyday problems become more manageable.

Approaches for online work and what they look like