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My approach to therapy.
My approach to therapy is grounded in attunement, calmness, curiosity, empowerment, and compassion. I strive to create a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where individuals feel heard, understood, and empowered throughout their journey toward healing and growth.
Together, we explore the challenges and experiences that may be affecting your life, relationships, and overall well-being. I work collaboratively with each person to better understand their unique experiences, identify patterns that may be contributing to distress, and develop meaningful approaches that align with their individual goals.
I value authenticity in the therapeutic relationship. I strive to be genuine and “real” in my work, while offering honest, thoughtful feedback when it is welcomed. My goal is to provide a space where you can be open and vulnerable without fear of judgment, while feeling supported as you navigate meaningful change.
I also incorporate approaches that support nervous system regulation and strengthen the connection between the brain and body. By developing greater awareness of bodily experiences and cultivating a deeper sense of safety within the body, we can work toward greater calm, balance, resilience, and overall well-being.
What Clients Can Expect In their first session.
Beginning therapy can feel intimidating, vulnerable, and even scary. My goal is to provide a warm, welcoming, and nonjudgmental environment where you can feel safe being your authentic self. If you are unsure of who that is or feel disconnected from yourself, we can explore and discover that together.
During our first session, you can expect to begin building practical tools for grounding, coping, and emotional regulation that you can use in everyday life. My hope is that you leave our first session with something meaningful to take with you—a new perspective, a helpful tool, a sense of relief, or perhaps a renewed sense of hope.
Over the years, clients have shared that they experience a greater sense of calm and hope after meeting with me. I believe this comes from being genuinely present, attuned to each person’s individual needs, and deeply invested in understanding what they are experiencing.
Healing happens through connection. When we feel truly seen, heard, understood, and cared for, we can begin to feel safe enough to explore the experiences that have shaped us. I believe that a strong therapeutic connection, combined with attunement, compassion, and evidence-informed approaches, can be a powerful foundation for healing, recovery, and empowerment.
Paula Johnson, LCSW, CCTP, CFTP
Meet Paula
Hello! I'm Paula. I truly love the work I do and feel honored to support individuals as they discover their capacity for healing, growth, and recovery.
As a second-career therapist, I bring not only professional education and training, but also valuable life experience and a deep understanding of the many challenges we can encounter throughout our lives. I consider it a privilege to walk alongside each person on their journey toward healing, self-understanding, and empowerment.
My approach is trauma-informed, neuroscience- and nervous-system-informed, attachment-focused, and attentive to relationship wounds. I am certified in Stress, Trauma, and PTSD and serve as a consultant and certified practitioner in Brainspotting. I am also an EMDR consultant-in-training and certified in EMDR. In addition, I have completed Level 3 training in Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), Level 1 training in Internal Family Systems (IFS), and training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Polyvagal Theory.
Originally from the East Coast, I relocated to Arizona several years ago and have truly enjoyed making it home. In my therapeutic work, I draw from a variety of approaches because I believe there is no single therapy or technique that is right for everyone. Each person is unique, and I strive to meet clients where they are, tailoring the therapeutic process to their individual needs, experiences, and goals.
I often think of people as being a little like onions—we all have layers. Borrowing this lighthearted idea from Shrek, I see those layers as being shaped by our experiences, wounds, relationships, upbringing, and family of origin. My goal is to create a safe, compassionate space where those layers can be explored with curiosity and care. Together, we can work toward greater self-understanding, healing, resilience, and meaningful growth.
Professional Trainings
- Deep Brain Reorienting Level 3-Dr. Frank Corrigan.
- Brainspotting Consultant Training 9 month Program-Cherie Lindberg, PHD.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1
- Advanced EMDRIA EMDR training in relational & attachment EMDR.
- Advance BSP Training-Mindful Co-Regulation.
- Advanced BSP P.T.S.D. and Parts Work.
- Advanced Stress Studies - Bessel Van der Kolk.
- Deep Brain Reorienting Level 1 and 2- Dr. Jessica Christine-Sand
- Advance BSP Training-From Freeze to Thaw.
- Emergency Responder and Public Safety Certified Clinician.
- Arizona Board of Behavioral Health Examiners Clinical Supervisor
- Advanced EMDRIA Consultant-in-Training Program-EMDR Consulting
- Advanced Training in Structural Dissociation- Healing the Whole Self- Part 1 and 2 Sarah Jenkins.
- Brainspotting Phase 1,2, 3 & 4.
- Advanced EMDR Sand Tray Therapy- Ana Gomez.
- Advanced Training EMDR and Grief.
- Neurobiology of Grief.
- Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP).
- Trauma Treatment Certification Training-Janina Fisher.
- Adult Attachment Relationships-Jana Pressley, PsyD.
- Certified Child and Adolescent Trauma Professional (CATP).
- 2018 Certified Family Trauma Professional- Arizona Trauma Institute-Robert Rhoton, Psy. D. (CFTP).
- 2018 EMDRIA Approved EMDR Basic Training by Dr. Robbie Tapia, Tapia Counseling.
Professional Experience
Paula brings a wealth of experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults across a variety of behavioral health settings. Throughout her career, she has worked in community mental health, the Department of Child Safety, psychiatric hospitals, Partial Hospitalization Programs (PHP), Intensive Outpatient Programs (IOP), and outpatient group settings. These diverse experiences have equipped her to meet clients where they are, providing compassionate, individualized care while supporting them through a wide range of life challenges and mental health concerns.
Joel Anderson
Hi, I'm Joel Anderson,
an MSW Candidate at Liberty University and a clinical intern at Encouraging Hand Trauma Counseling, working toward licensure.
I specialize in supporting public safety professionals, athletes, and their families through the pressures and demands of high-performance, high-scrutiny careers.
My clinical foundation is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and I continue to train in additional modalities, including EMDR, Brainspotting, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy, to expand what I can offer clients as my training deepens.
What stays consistent, regardless of technique, is a direct, no-nonsense approach paired with genuine empathy and compassion.
My work is built around three connected areas:
identity transitions, performance stress, and trauma and recovery.
I work with individuals navigating injuries, retirement, burnout, trauma, and the loss of identity that comes with stepping away from their career or sport. I support clients through the psychological weight of trauma and the physical toll that shows up in the body.
The people I work with are often defined, publicly and privately, by what they do and how well they do it. Their performance is watched, measured, and expected, whether that means running toward danger on the job or performing under a stadium lights. What rarely gets attention is the person underneath the role:
the accumulated weight of stress and exposure that gets carried quietly, often without the person even recognizing it, until it starts shaping how they show up in every other part of their life.
My goal is to help clients become balanced as whole people, not just capable professionals or competitors, so they can continue to excel in the roles they currently hold while also building
genuine confidence in who they are apart from them.
Before pursuing my MSW, I competed as a national-level boxer, national-level powerlifter, and Division I wrestler, and spent over 24 years in public safety. I hold a Masters degree in Leadership with an advanced graduate certificate in Performance Psychology, and I'm a member of the Alliance of Social Workers in Sports (ASWIS).
This combination of lived experience and
clinical training allows me to recognize the overlap between the demanding, closely scrutinized culture of public safety and the demanding, closely scrutinized culture of competitive sports. Clients from these worlds often find they don't have to explain themselves to me before we can get to work.
I've been married for 25 years, and my family includes three children and two boxer dogs who keep the house lively.
Joel is supervised by Paula Johnson and is currently accepting new clients. He will begin scheduling appointments in September.
Joel's session fee is $60 per session.
To learn more or determine whether Joel is a good fit for your needs, please contact our office at 480-772-6965. We would be happy to answer your questions and help you schedule an appointment.