About Me

Mary-Joy Johnson (she/her)
Founder and Director - Wildways Therapy

Fellow - National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists

EDI Officer - National Council of Integrative Psychotherapists

The Haven Parenting and Wellbeing Centre Ltd - Associate Therapist

Past positions:

Programme Co-Director - The Dare to Live Trust

Faculty Tutor, Lecturer, Supervisor - Level 5/Level 6 Diplomas - IFEEL Method

External Marker - Level 4 Diploma in Counselling - Psychotherapy Training Hub

As an integrative psychotherapist I combine cognitive, somatic, neurobiological and attuned relationally-based (attachment) processes to support clients in finding their way through recovery, restoration and towards deep, sustained, emotional and psychological wellness.

I am inspired and revived by the natural world and identify the deep connection and origin story we all hold with the earth, both implicitly and explicitly. There is a diverse evidence base for the supportive impact on our mental health of immersing in nature. Observing horses living in species appropriate environments, within a wider ecosystem, can amplify our psychological and emotional experiences, bringing opportunities for therapeutic processes to emerge and with it, corrective emotional experiences.

Aligning this with competent, professional, clinical care is my passion.

I am therefore, somewhat uniquely perhaps, able to draw from my extensive personal and professional experiences to offer a trauma-specialist, Attachment-informed, FASD-informed, CPA-informed, SEND-informed, ND-informed, relationally-focused, inclusive, integrative psychotherapy setting where many parent/carers and professionals have shared experiencing a deep sense of validation and 'feeling felt'. I am passionate about creating a safe and inclusive space for those who identify themselves as being from marginalised groups and/or where their identity intersects across those groups.

I am a mum to 3 children, birth and adopted, in our diverse and creative family. I have lived experience of many life challenges, including long term advocacy for support for SEND and adoption services (health and education). I have had my own journey with neurodiversity, historical trauma/PTSD, bereavement, chronic stress and burnout. Most importantly I have experience in compassionate self-acceptance, recovery, healing and learning to thrive through accessing safe, multi-approach (integrative) clinically excellent therapy and support.

I have over 40 years experience of caring for horses and have a particular interest in their innate, ethological needs, their holistic care and the growing movement to naturalise traditional methods of horse care and land stewardship/management to make them more species appropriate.

I am committed to supporting families that are experiencing difficulties.

I have a particular focus and specialism in supporting SEND Parent/Carers, Adoptive Parents/SGO/ kinship Carers, Foster Carers and Social Care Professionals who are experiencing challenges with their own mental health whilst caring for or working with children and young people from disadvantaged and/or challenging backgrounds and those who have had traumatic early life experiences, special educational needs and disabilities.
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