About Briana Johnson, LPC, LAC | Denver Trauma & Relationship Therapist

Denver therapist offering EMDR and IFS-informed therapy for adults

My personal story

I’ve wanted to be a therapist since I knew what that was. On the playground as a kid I would dole out advice, and my friends nicknamed me ‘the psychiatrist.’ These days, I spend my time chasing my small kids with my partner, reading mystery books last-minute for book club, doing yoga, or watching trashy dating shows. (It’s called balance, okay?) I panic when asked about hobbies, so I usually say I knit—which is true, but may not be the coolest thing to say at parties.

I’m curious about the world and interested in almost any topic, people especially. I’m deeply grateful for the work I get to do and consider it a privilege that I get to help people heal at the root so they can live big, beautiful lives. I get a front row seat to people’s healing which makes this the best job in the world.

I am a queer professional who’s faced imposter syndrome, burnout, and started my own business to create a sustainable life where I can thrive. I’ve benefitted myself from EMDR and IFS therapy, so I know firsthand how powerful these therapies can be. I want to walk alongside others in creating lives we love that feel sustainable.

My identities:

When we do therapy we both bring different identities into the work. Some of these are more visible, some less so. Among other things, I am white, straight-passing, queer, and able-bodied. Some of those things we might share, and I expect some we won’t. My goal is to make it a safe enough place that we can talk about these when we need to.

I want to understand how your identities show up in your life and the systems you’re a part of. Your identities shape how you experience the world and your mental health. We can’t do good therapy without making space for those realities.

How I Work

In case you’re looking for a specific approach, you should know I’ve had training in:

  • EMDR allows us to use the body and mind's natural systems to reprocess traumatic memories and take the charge out of them. This helps you feel better in your body, less affected by trauma symptoms, and be better able to move forward in your life. It is the closest I come to magic in my office!

  • SP allows us to access past trauma through the body. As we allow body sensations or movements to come to completion, we let trauma resolve instead of staying stuck within us. I often use SP in conjunction with EMDR.

  • DBT is based in mindfulness and provides many hands-on skills to cope with emergencies, managing emotions day-to-day, and having better relationships. I often focus on the relationship skills to help clients cultivate richer relationships and manage conflict.

  • CBT helps us to identify automatic thoughts that are not helping us feel better or act in ways we like. By noticing and gently challenging our thoughts, we can shift the ways we feel and ultimately act.

  • ACT helps us to create a different relationship to our difficult emotions and live a life in line with our values. We can acknowledge feelings like anxiety are present without letting them stop us from doing things that matter to us.

  • MI can help you get clarity on what you want in life and how and when to move forward. I use MI when addressing big decisions clients are making or in helping address substance use. MI assumes you are the expert in your life and helps you get where YOU want to go.

  • IFS helps us get to know different “parts” of ourselves that may cause us to act in ways we don’t always like due to past experiences or wounds and allows us to offering healing to these parts and help them play less extreme roles in our lives.

    While official IFS trainings through the IFS Institute are difficult to be accepted into, I have completed several IFS trainings with Dr. Kendhal Hart who is an IFS trainer, and therefore how I practice is considered “IFS-informed.”

If you have questions about how I incorporate various treatment modalities into my therapy (and for what diagnoses or problems), let’s set up a consultation! I’m happy to answer your specific questions!

Briana Johnson, LPC, LAC, Denver Therapist for Trauma and Relationships

My credentials:

  • Colorado Licensed Professional Counselor

  • Colorado Licensed Addiction Counselor

  • Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

  • Bachelor of Science in Psychology and French

  • EMDR Trained (via the Maiberger Institute)

  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy-Level I Trauma Themes (via the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Instititute)

  • IFS-Informed (via Dr. Kendhal Hart)

  • Best Laugh—High School Senior Superlative

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