Deanna Johnston, LPC

Early in my career and education, to get a breadth of experience, I was a generalist, counseling kids, to geriatric adults, including college students. I still enjoy and welcome all adults, men and women, who are seeking help for a variety of reasons.

I then worked and volunteered as a trauma counselor for two years at a local trauma and crisis center.  For this position, I trained under leaders in trauma counseling and research.  I treated both childhood and recent trauma. Trauma is not just related to abuse, as many life events are traumatic.  I am trained to treat various forms of trauma. For example, I was mentored, and have treated, moral injury.  From my experience in trauma counseling, I have been invited to speak at conferences such as Every Victim Every Time and Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, where I gave a presentation on "Responding to Trauma in America’s Aging Population".  In addition,  I was asked to coauthor a magazine article about how to take mental health into consideration when responding to sexual assault on college campuses. 

I took my experience with trauma counseling and expanded into the study of thanatology.  I have a passion for counseling in the areas of death, dying, and bereavement, including traumatic loss.  I continue my education in thanatology with the Association for Death Education and Counseling.  I have been invited as a guest lecturer multiple times at Blinn College to discuss meaning versus despair at the end of life. 

I also counsel those with chronic illness, previously working as an embedded counselor in the oncology unit at Baylor Scott & White Clinic.  I've studied psycho-oncology, or the mental health aspects of those with cancer.    I have also studied  the mental health aspects of cleft lip and palate, and have been a mental health content expert to family publications with the American Cleft Palate-Craniofacial Association .  I have also been invited as a guest lecturer at Charleston Southern University to present on the association between trauma and medical issues.   However, my experience is not limited to these examples.