01 · Who John works with

John works with stress, Anxiety, relationship issues and family conflicts

John lists 16 specialisms and 17 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects John chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In John's own words

What John says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

Hello. I appreciate you taking the time to get to know more about me.

I have been on planet earth for a long time. I so appreciate having the opportunity to see the consciousness of mankind expand in many ways. And in many ways, it has stayed the same. I would like to think that my life experience has allowed me to experience a range of emotions, trials and tribulations that contributes to my ability to listen and empathize with your situation.

The primary trait I bring to the table is that of the wounded healer. I grew up in an abusive atmosphere, and spent most of my life trying to "figure it out".

I have experienced many different types of therapy, many of them cathartic and body oriented. I have always found a sense of home in my body. We now know that the heart and the gut both have more neurotransmitters than the brain.

I also try to convey the power of Mother Earth to support you on your journey. You are never really alone.

The mind is not always the best place to look for solutions, especially for body issues and trauma. Research has proven this to be the case.

I have lived in many places, travelled the world, and look forward to spending my elder years sharing what i have learned.

I love the West Coast.

I grew up in New York City. while there I was a teacher, a dog trainer, a professional dancer, and I performed off off Broadway doing Primal Theatre.

I performed for many years doing Playback Theater, a wonderful form where we played back audience member's stories for them.

I have been an entrepreneur and business owner for decades, providing tools and information to help people live a happy, healthy, long life. I have coached and worked with many business owners and family businesses.

I am confident that I can provide you with a compassionate ear, be a witness to your areas of concern, and help move you towards your goals and aspirations.

John Johnson, on the BetterHelp listing · read 10 Oct 2026

03 · How John works

The 7 approaches John lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods John lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not John's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how John runs a session.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

The Gottman Method

A couples approach built on decades of observational research into what distinguishes relationships that last. Structured and assessment-led: it maps friendship, conflict and shared meaning, then works on the specific mechanics of how the two of you argue.

Mindfulness-Based TherapyMBCT

Trains attention on what is happening right now - body, breath, the thought as it arrives - so distress can be observed rather than automatically acted on. Strongest evidence is in preventing depression from recurring, and it is usually taught as a practice you keep doing outside the session.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Works on the assumption that current patterns - in relationships, at work, in how you treat yourself - have a history, and that seeing the history loosens the pattern. Less structured than CBT, usually longer, and more interested in what comes up unbidden than in a weekly agenda.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

Also listed

• Somatic Therapy

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

John practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of John's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking John at this point.

2. Naming John specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for John is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to John.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

4 questions worth asking John

Built from what John actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not John's - John has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client-Centred Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “With 25 years in, what has changed most in how you work?”

  Long experience is only an advantage if it has been examined. This tends to surface whether it has.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LMFT

Licensed in

California

Licence

CA LMFT 16372

Licence number

16372

Licence expires

31 Aug 2027

NPI

1013518604

Years in practice

25

Gender

Male

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

John's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 10 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met John. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.