Today we’d like to introduce you to Chris Johnston.
Chris, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I think I took a bit of a “wandering path” to becoming a therapist, honestly! I started college right after High School, but finished up at middle age! I took a nice decade and a half exploring the world of music in between– And when I met someone I wanted to settle down and have a family with, I considered looking into getting more of a “grown-up” job– You know, something more stable perhaps. So, since I was already working at a mental health facility during the day I thought pursuing a degree and license in therapy was kind of the natural direction, anyway.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh man– Compared to the struggles of hustling through the entertainment industry it’s been a dream! Ha ha ha. But truly, I think it’s been really exciting almost every step of the way. I guess what I found was that the more I stuck my feet into the world of psychology and human experience, the more curious I became about it–It’s like it never ends. Which, you know, probably provided whatever fuel I needed to take each step so far.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
So– Being that I practice in Spring Hill, TN, which is a smaller sized community, there aren’t a ton of therapists around–So my approach is more of a generalist in order to provide a wider range of help. That said, though, I definitely have specific areas of interest and focus! Most of which have just naturally emerged from working in various full-time jobs after school while maintaining a part-time therapy practice.
I’ve worked on a homeless team at a large mental health facility, I’ve worked at the Public Defender’s Office, in a walk-in medical clinic, and even at a Kidney Transplant Clinic! So, being in that wide of a range of jobs, my client-populations have ranged from people with severe mental illnesses like schizophrenia, to those with substance use problems (particularly opioids), as well as working with the incarcerated and even with those on their journey to new kidneys. Through all of that a nice common thread has been emerging for me– The integration of physical health to mental/emotional health. So, I’m always speaking about that relationship with my clients in some way.
Aside from that– For whatever reason, I seem to vibe with guys and first-timers to therapy. Maybe I take more of a straight-forward approach to something that is anything but straight-forward. I don’t know–But it seems to work out that way.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I’d say any therapist that can display empathy without judgment is someone you’d want to pay your hard-earned money for their services–You know? Come as you are– I will do my best to meet you where you are at! No judgment from me. Honestly.
Aside from that– It’s gotta be affordable, doesn’t it? No one’s getting rich as a therapist so I don’t think about what I’m “missing” in that. Back in the day, I had this great hair-stylist when I was playing in music– I met her when she was just starting out and so she only charged me like $30 for a cool-looking men’s cut. Well, I kept going back to her for another 15 years! Her policy was to charge the original fee with her early clients because she believed they were a part of her success. I decided I wanted to do the same thing paying it forward a little bit, so I still have clients that still occasionally see me after several years–At the fee they originally paid in the beginning.
Pricing:
- $100 for the first session
- $120 for each afterwards
- In-Network with BCBS
- Sliding Scale for self-pay if needed
Contact Info:
- Website: https://SpringHillTherapy.com
