Camille Johnson, Ed.S., Registered Mental Health Counseling Intern

Education:

Graduated from the University of Florida with a Master’s and Specialist degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

At a Glance:

“Kindness eases change Love quiets fear” ― Octavia E. Butler, Parable of the Talents The journey of healing can be intimidating; diving deeper into ourselves to gain a clearer understanding is no small feat. Through kindness, empathy, and compassion, transformation can feel more approachable and manageable. Imagination and play are qualities and activities that often become lost to us as we grow; I love to channel this to heal our inner-child within.

I specialize in trauma, play therapy, narrative therapy, emotions-focused therapy, mindfulness, spiritual and holistic health. I see myself as an expert in these specialties, though I see you as the expert of your life. Together, we will co-create your healing and self-exploration journey.

Why did you become a therapist? 

I’ve always been a helper. First, I wanted to be a veterinarian because I absolutely loved all animals of all kinds. Once I failed Intro to Chemistry at UF with flying colors, I pursued my next passion: education. I loved working with children and supporting their learning, though the systems and environments I worked in felt draining and harmful to my overall well-being. Once I sat with how much I loved getting to know my students and giving them individual attention and care, I realized that my calling was to therapy and sacred healing. “Love what you do and you’ll never work another day in your life” used to feel cliche, now I’m starting to connect to what that saying means to me.  

What can a client expect to experience in session with you? 

In our sessions, you can expect me to be a human in the room that is curious, genuine and open to connecting with you, another human in the room. You can expect me to be kind, warm, and welcoming as you settle in to my peaceful space full of plants, stones, and calm tones. You can expect me to be all of the things: silly and playful, calm and grounding, protective and assertive, nurturing and caring.

If you could be the therapist to one celebrity, who would it be? 

I’d love to be a therapist on some of those terrible (but oh-so-good) Netflix reality love/relationship shows. I’ll admit, those shows are some of my guilty pleasures. I want the opportunity to say the things that I’ve said to my TV screen to some of these individuals in-person.

How do you spend your free time? 

I love being outdoors in nature, so I’m often on one of the many trails in Gainesville or camping, tubing or canoeing on one of Florida’s beautiful rivers or springs. I love to eat food so I’m often trying delicious spots to eat and relax with friends. During my intentional time to recharge you might find me hanging out on my porch listening to music with my cat, Lilith. 

What's your favorite quirk about yourself? 

My favorite quirk about myself is my love for all things fantasy. I love playing video games and I have a group of friends that I play the role playing game Dungeons and Dragons with.

What does social justice mean to you? 

To me, social justice begins with the challenging of beliefs that are taught to us from larger systems. Once we can curiously question our patterns of thinking and compassionately broaden our perspective, we can then take action towards true social justice.

How do you believe change happens?

Change will happen, whether we take action or not. Once we learn how to accept change and how to discern between what we can and cannot change, we can better direct our actions so that we feel more effective and powerful in our lives.