Brennan Johnston, MA LPC

I am a Chicago-based therapist specializing in identity issues, with a focus on trauma and grief. I have experience working with adolescents, couples, seniors, and the LGBTQIA+ community.

My path to becoming a therapist wasn’t linear. As a child, I had trouble “fitting in.” By nature of playground politics, because I wasn’t interested in what the other boys were into, I didn’t feel part of that group, and because I was a boy, I couldn’t be a part of the girl’s group. These issues only worsened as I became an adolescent. I experienced classic symptoms of depression and anxiety: isolation, sadness, social withdrawal, insomnia and irritability. Eventually, my parents sent me to a therapist, and it would be an understatement to say that therapy saved my life. There, I learned that those symptoms weren’t me, and that by learning who I was, I had power over my symptoms.

I went to college for film production, and for several years was involved in documentary filmmaking. It was through that education and experience that I grew to value stories: we all have one, and there is a real power in telling it. It was the power of story that led me to return to graduate school for counseling.

I attended Roosevelt University and obtained my MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May of 2020. I interned first at a high school on the West Side of Chicago, then at a private practice. I have a solid academic and theoretical background, but I believe every client is the expert of their own life, and I am here to learn their story.

As a therapist, I meet my clients where they are at and encourage personal agency. I am direct, and not afraid to gently challenge. I believe that as a therapist, my greatest tool is myself, and I bring my personality into session. I keep the awareness and knowledge of power structures and systems of oppression at the forefront of my clinical work.

Together, we can work through problems, whether they be environmental stressors, relational issues, trauma, or an existential crisis. I want to learn who you are as a person, and together, we can discover the power of your story.