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Meet JohannaH
Licensed Counselor
A bit About me
My Background
I relocated from Chicago to Switzerland in 2018 after marrying my Swiss husband. This transition was accompanied by a host of joys and challenges, which has included gaining an appreciation for long walks in the stunning Swiss landscape, trying to learn better table manners, and wrestling with the German language. In addition to counseling, I enjoy singing, writing creatively, and reading a variety of books.
I work with individuals seeking to recover and grow beyond adverse or challenging life experiences, or who simply want to cultivate a healthy inner life. This can include life transitions such as international relocation, marriage, or the birth of a child. It also encompasses relationship loss, the death of a loved one, family challenges, and traumatic experiences. My previous clinical experience includes working with adults and adolescents recovering from traumatic experiences, substance use, bereavement, relocation, abuse, and neglect. I have a particular interest in treating anxiety. I am a person of faith and maintain a Christian worldview, but enjoy working with people from all stages, ages, traditions, and walks of life in a spirit of collaboration and mutual learning. Whatever you're carrying, I'd love to journey with you.
My Style
I am fully present when I work. I will be attuned to you and whatever you show up with during sessions, asking questions to make sure I've understood you and trying to see the world through your eyes. I am not someone who is easily surprised or shocked; I've heard it all, and I can hold it with you. I am deeply hopeful in every person's capacity to adapt, recover, and create something new, and that hope will come through in our sessions. I like to make space to recognize and celebrate positive changes!
compassion
Compassion means empathy - reaching into my experience to find something to connect me to your experience. Compassion also means honoring where you're at and taking it at face value without labelling you or putting
you in a box.
Authenticity
Authenticity means vulnerability - having the courage to talk about what is really true. Authenticity also means not hiding behind professional pretense, and continuously seeking to expand my knowledge base in order to give you the best counseling experience possible.
responsiveness
Responsiveness means listening to what you tell me about yourself and believing that you are the expert of your own life. It also means adapting our counseling plans and framework according to your unique personhood, goals, and needs.
hopefulness
Hopefulness means tenacity, an unwillingness to quit in the face of adversity. It also means a quiet confidence in the goodness of life, in the possibility of finding meaning in suffering, and in the practical potential for restoration and repair.