The Therapy Team

 While my specialty has always been trauma therapy for teenagers, it was shortly after my youngest brother committed suicide I decided to forever include Veterans and prior military when considering new patients. With 2 Veterans in my family, my personal experiences help me better understand the psyche of those who have lived in a controlled environment, experienced personal trauma, or who have been in active combat. While I have experience using Talk Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and also Art Therapy, I know every situation is unique and I am ready to explore the many therapies available until we find what works for you.

I originally specialized in therapies for kids and teens diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which includes the whole spectrum from Non-verbal to High Functioning. Though it doesn't matter if you are a parent seeking therapy for an Autistic child or teen, or an emotionally wounded veteran, I am ready to guide you to your solution.

My desire to help people through their traumatic experiences or difficult emotions is both genuine and true. My dedication as a Therapist should never be taken lightly. My developed organic approach to the therapeutic processes require participation and consistency to Improve complete mental health. 

 A long-time resident of Orlando, Corey “CJ” Johnson is a Florida native with many years of professional and community-based experiences working within the human services field throughout Central Florida. Corey earned his Master of Science in Counseling Education, with a specialization in Play Therapy, from Palm Beach Atlantic University- Orlando campus. Corey is also a HBCU graduate from Florida A&M University, where he obtained his B.S. in Psychology with a minor in Criminal Justice. In addition, Corey is an active member of both the American & Florida Counseling Associations.

Corey is compassionate about the healing process. Since the tender age of 12, working as a volunteer coordinator with Habitat for Humanity- Orlando, Corey had always placed a significant amount of attention and energy on community wellness. As he matriculated through life developing his professional identity, various training and coursework has centralized his focus and prepared him to work well with an array of individuals from all walks of life. Corey’s approach to counseling involves a client strength-based model that encourages the individual to incorporate their gifts and knowledge into developing a healthy, judgment-free therapeutic working relationship toward self-efficacy and transcendence. Furthermore, he utilizes an integrated lens to address client’s independent needs with mechanisms from Person-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Trauma-Informed Care, and of course Play/Experiential Therapy.

Corey takes great pride in his work with children, adolescents, adults, families, and the foster population. He believes that his genuine desire to connect with his clients is what enables him to tailor an individualized treatment plan to appropriately combat issues of anxiety, personality, depression, trauma, behavior, grief, and family conflict.

“Life takes up one long, winding road to fulfill its seemingly endless journey, and when we find ourselves stumble upon forks in the road, we choose wisely.”

- Amani Abbas   

 I am a master’s level social worker intern. I have been helping people in the mental health community for over 16 years! I am well versed in helping many different populations in mental health. I have helped veterans, children and families, and domestic abuse survivors but my help doesn’t stop there! I have built my career as a case manager and therapist that led me to becoming a clinical director at two leading Central Florida treatment facilities. I have a passion for working with people and have continued my career providing intensive counseling services to those needing the highest forms of care. I continue to refine my skills working with anxiety, depression, substance use, family discord, relationship conflict, and domestic abuse survivors. Down to earth with a side of humor to add, I have a way of helping clients feel understood, valued, seen, and heard. Therapy can feel challenging in the beginning but I try to help teach my clients how to empower themselves to continue meeting their goals and liberating themselves from the psychological chains that can make them feel stuck. This is a powerful combination in the relationships I form with my clients as they use this as the foundation to build the life they want to live. I know what it's like to build from the ground up and the importance of having the right support to do so!  

 I have always had a deep passion for helping individuals!  This has led me to where I am now with pursuing a Master's degree at Liberty University.  Working with Catalyst for my practicum and internship has been and continues to be a rewarding experience for me. I believe it is critical to provide a safe and inviting environment for my clients, as well as to ensure that they are heard and understood. I'm interested in assisting people in reconnecting with themselves by discovering their talents and learning new communication techniques. I especially enjoy working with adolescents in their journey through self-discovery. As someone who navigating through my own journey with a therapist, I desire to be that voice of help as well. To establish a secure and non-judgmental space, I believe in working from a warm, empathetic perspective! Therapy can be difficult at first, but I attempt to teach my clients how to empower themselves to achieve their goals.

My ideal client is someone who wants to be a better version of themselves. Someone who is motivated to learn how to deal with their problems and is receptive to positive change. I have always loved working with children and seeing positive changes in their behaviors and being able to witness personal growth and improved family relationships. I have a strong passion for this field and being able to help anyone overcome difficulties in their mental health is an honor. I have a strong passion to help others realize their potential and understand that change, while difficult, can be beautiful and liberating. Please reach out so that we can identify a plan to best suit your needs to reach your mental health goals.  

 I love to help bring couples and families closer together through using Imago Relationship Therapy and help to have fulfilling relationships. I am passionate about helping people reconnect with themselves and others by helping them connect with their strengths and learning new ways to communicate. I believe in working from a warm, empathic approach to create a safe and non-judgmental space where clients can learn, grow, and achieve their goals. 

 Doing my practicum and internship at Catalyst has been and continues to be something that I’m grateful for. I love coming to work and seeing everyone’s faces and to be able to see the progress our clients are making. I believe that it is important to create a safe and welcoming environment for my clients and to make them feel heard and listened to. I look forward to continue learning here at Catalyst and to be a helping hand in my client’s journeys. 

You can't go back and change the
beginning, but you can start where
you are and change the ending."
-C.S. Lewis
Life can be full of different
stressors and this is where I can
help. I will provide a warm, non-
judgmental, safe, and interactive
environment where we take on
complex subjects, deep-seated
traumas, or for you to say the
things you've never told anyone
before. I understand these are
difficult subjects to speak about,
and I will build a therapeutic
relationship with you so that you
feel strong enough to share your
worldview. By doing this, we can
establish realistic and attainable
goals to establish growth and
promote healing. And always
remember that healing is not linear.
The best gift you can give yourself
is to master the chaos in you. You
are not thrown into the fire, you are
the fire. - Mama Indigo. 

I have always been interested in helping my community in the best way I can! Every since I was young I wanted to be a therapist. Finally, I can proudly say that I have achieved my goal of becoming a fully registered mental health counselor! I love being able to help guide children and families into a positive and healthy mindset! I love learning new things and finding new ways to improve myself! I hope I can provide you with the guidance you need to better yourself in any way during your journey here at Catalyst! I am open to see all ages and all situations! In session we can do puzzles or do a simple painting or even just talk if you prefer I am here to help you be the best you!  Oh by the way, smile. It looks good on you! 

As someone who was driven to be involved in a career dedicated to helping others, I found a passion within the counseling field. I obtained my B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University in 2019. To expand my knowledge within the mental health community, I began working at an inpatient facility. I also completed my RBT certification at UCF, which provides behavior analysis services and intervention to children on the Autism Spectrum. I am now pursuing my Master’s in Mental Health Counseling at Nova Southeastern University; It has been an incredible experience thus far and has made a significant impact on my life. 

    Being allowed to work with Catalyst for my internship has been nothing but a rewarding journey which I am extremely grateful for. Coming to therapy can be challenging and intimidating, however, I believe creating a solid therapeutic relationship to work together to learn and integrate techniques that can aid those towards their goals is essential. I strive every day to create a safe and open environment to give client’s the time and space they need to progress.