Maureen R. Johnston, MA
Marriage and Family Therapist, MFC 31776
Certified Educational Therapist
(408) 871-9180
www.maureenjohnston.com
 One of the things that most attracted me to the profession of psychotherapy over twenty years ago is my interest in people: people of all ages, ethnicities, and walks of life. I still love to meet people and hear their stories. I want to get to know who they are and what interests them, learn about their loves, their pain, their strength, their fears.
As a result, I have always had a general practice. So, if you're looking for ...
- individual therapy for yourself
- couples' counseling for you and your spouse/partner
- therapy for your adolescent or child (as young as 3 years old)
- a formal psycho-educational evaluation
you can be assured that I have experience and training in each modality.
Since I place a high value on learning and education, one of the things that I most enjoy about being a therapist is that there is always more to learn. Although I completed my Masters Degree in the late 1980's, and received my license in 1994, I have continued to learn through formal coursework, individual and group consultation, and self-directed study.
Some of the areas that I have studied and have a continued interest in include:
- methods of play therapy and child development
- marriage/couples counseling
- mood disorders (depression and bi-polar disorder)
- anxiety difficulties
- gender and sexual identity issues
- the importance of attachment
- interpersonal neurobiology
- responses to trauma
- the complexity of relationships
- parenting difficulties
- cognitive development, learning styles, and educational issues
- ADHD in children and adults
- the impacts of race and culture on individuals, families, and groups
- the effects of aging on individuals and their families
How I work
What we have long suspected, and what science is now confirming, is that the relationship that develops in the therapy room is the most significant factor in the success of therapy. I understand how difficult starting the therapy process can be and do my best to make my clients feel comfortable and safe from the very beginning. I view the first few sessions as an assessment period for both of us since it is important that we both feel it is a good fit.
I generally see my clients for 50 minute sessions, once a week. Occasionally, when it feels appropriate we'll meet a couple times in the week. The children's sessions are for 45 minutes. Please see my article on Children and Therapy for a more comprehensive description of my work with children.
Psycho-educational Evaluations
A few years ago, I returned to school and received a Certificate in Educational Therapy from the UC-Santa Cruz — extension program. This expanded the services I am able to offer to include educational testing and evaluation. I combine my years of experience and knowledge gained providing psychotherapy with what I learned in the certificate program to perform educational evaluations that also include the emotional and psychological factors which affect our ability to learn and study.
Why therapy?
There are many different reasons why we enter counseling and therapy, yet some of the most frequently expressed are:
- a desire for assistance in sorting through options when faced with an important decision
- having to cope with a major change or loss (death, divorce, relationship, employment, health, etc.)
- difficulties with our ability to grow, or even function in different settings (home, work, school, etc.)
- exposure to recent or past trauma
- sleep problems
- worry and anxiety
- depression and sadness
- parenting issues
- concerns for child or teen (behavior, mood, academics, etc.)
- communication difficulties
Finding a therapist
For many of us, finding and choosing a therapist can be a daunting task. If you've had some counseling or therapy already, you can think about what you liked and didn't like about the therapist, what you found helpful and what didn't work for you. If you've never been before, the whole process may seem alien and even intimidating. While it is a violation of our ethical guidelines to solicit and publish client/patient testimonials, it can be helpful for you to talk with people that you know and respect about their experiences with therapy. You may be surprised by the number of people you know who have been in therapy and found it very helpful.
Sense and Psychotherapy
I enjoy writing, and for several years I published a newsletter Sense and Psychotherapy: Thoughts on Psychotherapy and Living. I have recently developed an online version Sense and Psychotherapy: Reflections from a Psychotherapist's Perspective that is now available. Some of my newsletter articles are listed below, as well as essays I've written for other sources. If you would like to receive future issues of my online newsletter, please feel free to contact me and I will add you to my confidential mailing list.
Articles and Essays
Community Outreach
As part of my commitment to the advancement of the profession, for several years I served on the Board of Directors for the Santa Clara Valley chapter of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists (SCV-CAMFT), including two years as Chapter President.
I have provided clinical supervision to Marriage and Family Therapy Interns at a number of different schools and organizations in the area. I also taught Psychotherapy with Children for a semester to the Master's level counseling students at JFK University, Campbell campus.
Over the years I have enjoyed speaking to various groups, including schools, preschools, churches, and other organizations. I also developed and administered Social Skills and Team Building curriculum for elementary age children.
Some of the topics on which I've presented include:
- Communicating Effectively with Young Children
- Dealing with Your Child's Emotions & Feelings
- Handling Anger — Both Your Own and Your Child's
- The Importance of Attachment and How to Nurture It
- Enhancing your Child's Self-Esteem
- Positive Discipline
- Learning Styles
- Handling Success & Coping with Failure
- Helping Your Child Cope with Divorce
- Healthy Limit Setting
- Boosting Academic Success
- Relaxation and Guided Imagery
- Talking about Sex and Intimacy with your Early Adolescent
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