01 · Who Pia works with

Pia works with stress, Anxiety, LGBT and relationship issues

Pia lists 12 specialisms and 24 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Pia chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Pia's own words

What Pia says about the work

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

Life can become overwhelming, even for the people who appear to have everything together. You may find yourself constantly worrying, feeling emotionally exhausted, struggling with anxiety or depression, grieving a loss, navigating a difficult relationship, or simply wondering why you don't feel like yourself anymore. Sometimes you've spent so much time taking care of everyone else that you've forgotten how to care for yourself.

You don't have to go through it alone.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with more than 20 years of experience helping adults navigate life's most difficult moments with compassion, honesty, and practical support. I believe therapy should be a place where you feel genuinely heard, understood, and accepted without judgment. Together, we'll identify the patterns that are keeping you stuck, build healthier ways of coping, and help you move toward the life you want to create.

I work with individuals experiencing:

• Anxiety and chronic stress

• Depression and low motivation

• Trauma and childhood wounds

• Grief and loss

• Life transitions

• Relationship challenges

• Self-esteem and confidence issues

• Burnout and work-related stress

• Women's issues

• LGBTQ+ concerns

• Racial and cultural identity concerns

• Family conflict

• Emotional regulation

• Personal growth and self-discovery

My approach is collaborative, warm, and solution-focused while recognizing that lasting change takes time. I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), trauma-informed care, Solution-Focused Therapy, strengths-based interventions, attachment-based work, and mindfulness to create a treatment plan that fits your unique needs and goals.

I know that asking for help isn't always easy. Many people worry they'll be judged, won't know what to say, or think they should be able to handle everything on their own. The truth is that seeking therapy is a sign of strength, not weakness. Healing begins when you give yourself permission to be supported.

Whether you're looking to better manage anxiety, heal from painful experiences, improve your relationships, build confidence, or simply rediscover who you are, I'm here to help you every step of the way.

You deserve more than just getting through each day. You deserve to feel at peace, connected, and hopeful about your future. If you're ready to begin that journey, I would be honored to work with you.

Pia Johnson, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Pia works

The 4 approaches Pia lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Pia lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Pia'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 Pia runs a session.

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.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

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.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Pia 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 Pia'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 Pia at this point.

2. Naming Pia specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Pia 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 Pia.

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

3 questions worth asking Pia

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

• “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 20 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

LCSW

Licensed in

New York

Licence

NY LCSW 101808

Licence number

101808

Licence expires

30 Nov 2028

NPI

1104354927

Years in practice

20

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Accepted

Listed since

12 Jun 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Pia'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 9 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 Pia. 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.