Trauma disrupts our capacity to be present in our bodies and connected to ourselves and others.

Unprocessed trauma lives in the nervous system, showing up as protective responses—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn—that once kept us safe but now keep us from resonance and vitality.

My approach to therapy is integrative and trauma-informed, meaning I believe healing happens at the pace of safety, not productivity.

Hi, I’m Megan Colleen Johnson, an Associate Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of California supporting sensitive humans who find themselves healing from relational struggles, loss, trauma, and pain.

Megan Colleen Johnson, MA, AMFT #155314
Supervised by Jennifer Schilling, LPCC #1544 Associate Marriage & Family Therapist
Licensed in California Practicing with Walk Intuit Inc., San Juan Capistrano, CA

You may be:

  • an old identity while sensing something new ahead.

  • after burnout, loss, or trauma.

  • to reconnect with your voice and vitality.

  • to lead, serve, or build from a place that’s rooted and resonant.

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The Seasonal Spiral:
Earth & Myth In Trauma-Informed Healing

Winter comes for a reason. The ground freezes. Snow covers the landscape, protecting the fertile soil and hibernating forest creatures beneath. Your frozen states, your shutdown, your snow-covered heart, these came by way of the Cailleach, the Celtic Crone Mother who protects her landscapes from harsh external temperatures. Your nervous system knew what it was doing when it said "not yet, not safe."

We honor that wisdom. We don't rush spring.

Together, we work in small, doable steps to build nervous system capacity and create the conditions for gentle thawing. When safety has been cultivated and right timing arrives, we invite the energy of Brigid, the Celtic Spring Mother of Hearth and Healing, allowing warmth to return gradually so that frozen affect can begin to move, resonance can be restored, and vitality can flow through you again.

This is depth work, not symptom management or quick fixes, but the kind of therapy that addresses root causes, honors your system's protective wisdom, and supports lasting transformation at the pace your soul can hold.

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WHO I SUPPORT

    • Complex trauma (C-PTSD) from childhood abuse, neglect, or developmental disruption

    • Single-incident trauma requiring processing

    • Attachment trauma and relational wounds

    • Medical trauma, birth trauma, or other overwhelming life events

    • Dissociative symptoms (depersonalization, derealization, amnesia)

    • Fragmentation and parts work

    • Chronic hyperarousal (anxiety, panic, hypervigilance)

    • Chronic hypoarousal (shutdown, numbness, depression)

    • Difficulty staying present or "in your body"

    • Insecure attachment patterns affecting current relationships

    • Difficulty with trust, intimacy, or boundaries

    • Patterns of codependency or people-pleasing

    • Relationship trauma or betrayal

    • Active psychosis or mania (please establish care with a psychiatrist first)

    • Active substance use disorders (please engage in substance-specific treatment, then we can work together)

    • Individuals seeking court-ordered therapy or evaluations

I provide psychotherapy for adults, teens, families, and children navigating

My Clinical Approach

My therapeutic orientation is integrative, meaning I draw from multiple evidence-based and experiential modalities to meet your unique needs. All of my work is rooted in trauma-informed principles and an understanding that your symptoms are the voice of your soul, telling us what seeks attention and restoration.

  • An evidence-based therapy for processing traumatic memories and disturbing life experiences. EMDR helps the brain reprocess stuck memories so they no longer carry the same emotional charge or trigger the same nervous system responses. Through bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or audio), we work to:

    • Process traumatic memories that continue to impact your present

    • Reduce flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts

    • Reprocess negative beliefs about yourself formed during trauma

    • Complete interrupted fight/flight/freeze responses

    EMDR is effective for single-incident trauma, complex trauma, anxiety, and attachment wounds.

  • Trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind. Drawing from Alchemical Alignment, Somatic Experiencing (SE), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Polyvagal Theory, I integrate somatic awareness and nervous system regulation techniques to help you:

    • Recognize and understand body signals and sensations

    • Expand your window of tolerance for difficult emotions and experiences

    • Honor freeze states as protective responses, not failures

    • Work with the pace of thawing—inviting gentle warmth rather than forcing premature processing

    • Complete interrupted survival responses (fight/flight/freeze/fawn)

    • Develop embodied presence and felt safety

    Alchemical Alignment principles guide this work: we understand that freeze states come as protection, like winter covering the earth. We don't rush spring. We cultivate safety and warmth slowly, allowing your system to signal when it's ready for gentle thawing so frozen affect can move and vitality can return.

  • Sometimes words aren't enough, or the trauma happened before you had language. I integrate:

    Art Therapy: Using visual art materials to express, explore, and process experiences that are difficult to verbalize. Art accesses different parts of the brain than talk therapy and can bypass cognitive defenses.

    Sand Tray Therapy: A powerful tool for accessing unconscious material, working with inner child parts, and creating symbolic representations of your inner world. Particularly effective for pre-verbal and developmental trauma.

    These modalities are especially helpful for:

    • Accessing pre-verbal or procedural memories

    • Working with parts that can't or won't speak in words

    • Bypassing intellectualization or over-analysis

    • Creating safe distance while processing difficult material

  • Our psyche is naturally multiple, we all have different aspects of ourselves with different needs, feelings, and perspectives. In parts work, we:

    • Identify protective parts (the ones trying to keep you safe, even in ways that no longer serve)

    • Connect with wounded or exiled parts (often younger versions of you carrying pain)

    • Strengthen your core self—the centered, compassionate part that can hold all the others

    • Facilitate internal communication and healing between parts

    This approach is particularly effective for complex trauma, internal conflict, and fragmentation.

  • Our earliest relationships shape how we relate to ourselves and others. I work from an attachment lens to:

    • Understand how early relational patterns show up in your present relationships

    • Provide a corrective relational experience through the therapeutic relationship

    • Work with attachment wounds and repair developmental trauma

    • Build secure attachment patterns through consistent, attuned presence

  • Our work together explores not just symptoms but underlying patterns, unconscious dynamics, and the meaning you make of your experiences. I draw from:

    • Attachment theory to understand relational patterns

    • Psychodynamic concepts for insight into unconscious processes

    • Jungian approaches for working with dreams, symbols, and shadow

    • Myth and archetypal psychology to understand your story within larger patterns

  • For clients who are interested and appropriate, I integrate nature-based and animal-assisted interventions. Horses and the natural world are non-judgmental beings who provide immediate biofeedback about your nervous system state and relational patterns. This approach can be particularly powerful for:

    • Clients who feel stuck in talk therapy

    • Highly sensitive people who connect deeply with animals and nature

    • Working with trust, boundaries, and co-regulation

    • Embodied healing and nervous system regulation

    Sessions take place at Walk Intuit Inc. in Costa Mesa, CA.

  • Dreams are the soul's language. When you bring dreams to our work, we explore them as messages from your unconscious—symbolic maps of what's seeking integration, what parts need attention, and what wisdom is trying to emerge.

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Trauma-Informed Care Principles

All treatment is grounded in:

  • Safety and trustworthiness: Creating a space where you can begin to feel safe

  • Collaboration and choice: You are the expert on your experience; we work together

  • Empowerment: Supporting your agency and autonomy

  • Cultural humility: Honoring your identities, background, and lived experience

  • Pacing: Healing happens at your nervous system's pace, not a predetermined timeline

  • Honoring protective responses: Freeze, shutdown, and other survival states are wisdom, not weakness

Treatment Process

Phase 1: Stabilization and Resourcing (Typically 4-8 sessions)

Before processing trauma, we build a foundation:

  • Psychoeducation about trauma, nervous system, and how therapy works

  • Developing grounding and regulation skills (somatic tools, containment)

  • Mapping your system (parts, triggers, resources, window of tolerance)

  • Establishing safety in the therapeutic relationship

  • Preparation for trauma processing (if using EMDR or deep parts work)

Phase 2: Processing and Integration (Ongoing)

Once adequately resourced, we:

  • Process traumatic memories using EMDR or somatic approaches

  • Work with parts carrying pain or protection

  • Use expressive arts to access and integrate pre-verbal material

  • Build capacity for staying present with difficult emotions

  • Renegotiate protective patterns that no longer serve

  • Allow gentle thawing of frozen states at the pace of safety

Phase 3: Reconnection and Consolidation

As healing deepens:

  • Integrate new ways of being into daily life

  • Strengthen relationships and boundaries

  • Clarify values and sense of purpose

  • Restore resonance and vitality

  • Prepare for therapy completion or maintenance phase

This is not a linear process. We move through these phases in spirals, cyclical as the seasons, returning to stabilization as needed, honoring your system's wisdom about what it can hold and when.

Clinical Logistics:

Session Format:

  • 50-minute weekly therapy sessions

  • Psychotherapy is only available for California residents

In-Person (Walk Intuit Inc., San Juan Capistrano, CA):

  • Address: 27128 Paseo Espada Suite #1522, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

  • Available for: Children, teens, adults, and families

  • Children under 13 must be seen in person (not appropriate for telehealth)

Telehealth (Secure, HIPAA-compliant platform):

  • Available for: Adults, teens, and families (no children under 13)

  • Requires private, confidential space for sessions

Fees and Insurance:

I am in-network with select insurance plans through Walk Intuit Inc.

For in-network clients:

  • Your cost will be your copay or coinsurance as determined by your plan

  • Walk Intuit Inc. bills your insurance directly

  • Please verify your mental health benefits before our first session

  • Some plans have different coverage for family therapy vs. individual therapy

For out-of-network or private pay, sliding scale options may be available based on financial need.

Good Faith Estimate: As required by federal law, a Good Faith Estimate of expected therapy costs will be provided by Walk Intuit Inc.

Cancellation Policy:

  • 24-hour notice required for cancellations or rescheduling

  • Late cancellations or no-shows will be charged a $75 cancellation fee.

  • Exceptions made for emergencies (illness, family crisis)

Confidentiality:

For Adults: All therapy is confidential within the limits of California law.

For Teens (13-17): I maintain confidentiality to build trust, but will involve parents/guardians when there are safety concerns. We discuss these boundaries in our first session.

For Children (Under 13): Parents/guardians have legal right to information about their child's treatment. I balance this with creating safe space for the child, and discuss what information is shared and how.

Legal exceptions to confidentiality (all ages):

  • Imminent risk of harm to self or others

  • Suspected abuse or neglect of a child, elder, or dependent adult

  • Court order or subpoena

Full confidentiality notice, HIPAA privacy practices, and informed consent provided at intake.

Crisis Resources:

If you are in crisis:

  • 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988

  • Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

  • NAMI Helpline: 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

  • Emergency Services: 911

I typically respond to non-urgent messages within 24-48 hours on business days. For urgent needs between sessions, please use the resources above. I am not available for crisis intervention between sessions.

How to Begin

Step 1: Contact Walk Intuit Inc.

Call or contact Walk Intuit Inc. directly:

  • Phone: [Walk Intuit phone number]

  • Website: walkintuit.org

  • Address: 27128 Paseo Espada Suite #1522, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675

Let them know you would like to work with Megan Colleen Johnson. Their administrative team will:

  • Check your insurance coverage and verify benefits

  • Discuss fees and payment options

  • Send intake paperwork

  • Schedule your first session

Step 2: Initial Intake Session

If I'm able to take you onto my caseload, we'll schedule an intake where we'll:

For adults/teens (50 minutes):

  • Review informed consent and confidentiality

  • Discuss your history and current concerns

  • Collaboratively develop initial treatment goals

  • Answer any questions about the therapy process

  • Begin building our therapeutic relationship

For children:

  • First session is with parents or primary guardian only

  • We discuss your child's history, concerns, and family context

  • Second session: I meet your child and begin building relationship

  • Ongoing parent consultation sessions scheduled regularly

For families (60 minutes):

  • All family members present

  • Discuss family history, current concerns, and goals

  • Establish agreements about confidentiality and participation

  • Begin assessment of family dynamics and patterns

Step 3: Ongoing Treatment

We establish a regular session schedule and begin the work, at the pace of safety, honoring the seasons of your healing, inviting gentle thawing so resonance and vitality can return.

Ready to begin?

[Contact Walk Intuit Inc.]

Or if you have questions about my approach or whether we might be a good fit, you're welcome to reach out through [contact form/email on Windborne House site] and I'll direct you to the appropriate next steps.

Megan Colleen Johnson, MA, AMFT #155314
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Supervised by Jennifer Schilling, LPCC #1544
Practicing with Walk Intuit Inc., San Juan Capistrano, CA

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Brand strategy, photography, and creative direction for healers and helpers

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  • Brand Strategy

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Depth psychotherapy to support healing from complex traumatic imprints

Your symptoms are the voice of your soul, telling us what is seeking attention and restoration. Using attachment-oriented sessions with a somatic foundation, we will tend those symptoms and resolve old traumatic imprints.

Specializations:

  • Complex and early developmental trauma

  • Sexual abuse and religious trauma

  • Grief, loss, depression, and dissociation

  • Attachment wounds and shadow integration

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