Emily Johnsrud
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Associate
About Emily
You may be feeling overwhelmed by anxiety, stuck in patterns that are difficult to change, or trying to make sense of a season of life that feels heavier than expected. Maybe your child or teen is struggling and you are unsure how to help. Perhaps your relationship feels more tense or disconnected, or your family is having a difficult time adjusting to change.
I work with children ages 6+, teens, adults, couples, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, emotional regulation difficulties, relationship concerns, family stress, and significant life transitions.
I am interested in what is happening underneath the surface. Rather than focusing only on the symptom, behavior, or conflict in front of us, we can look more closely at the emotions, experiences, and relationships shaping it. My goal is to help you better understand what is happening, strengthen the way you respond to difficult moments, and create change that feels meaningful in everyday life.
My Approach
There are times when talking something through is helpful, and other times when understanding it intellectually does not seem to change how it feels. I use both skill-based and deeper processing approaches so therapy can address what is happening in everyday life as well as experiences that may still carry emotional weight.
I draw from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), attachment-based therapy, family systems work, and EMDR. We may practice ways to manage intense emotions, examine thoughts or beliefs that have become limiting, explore how important relationships have shaped you, or process experiences that continue to influence the present.
I do not believe therapy should look exactly the same for every person. We will shape the work around your age, experiences, relationships, strengths, and goals so therapy feels relevant to your life and useful outside of the session.
Working With Children (6+) & Teens
Children and teens do not always communicate distress through words. Sometimes it shows up as worry, irritability, shutting down, difficulty separating, changes in behavior, low confidence, or emotions that seem difficult to manage.
My experience includes working with young people and families in community-based care as well as higher levels of mental health treatment. I support children ages 6+ and teens experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, self-esteem concerns, emotional or behavioral challenges, relationship difficulties, and major transitions.
I want younger clients to have a place where they can feel comfortable being themselves while learning to recognize emotions, express needs, strengthen coping skills, and make sense of difficult experiences. When appropriate, I partner with parents and caregivers so the support and skills developed in therapy can carry into home and family life.
Working With Adults
You may understand what is happening logically and still find yourself caught in the same thoughts, emotions, or reactions. Anxiety, self-doubt, past experiences, grief, or a major life transition can make it difficult to feel grounded or confident in what comes next.
I work with adults who want to better understand the experiences and beliefs influencing them today. Depending on your needs, our work may focus on managing anxiety, processing trauma, strengthening self-esteem, navigating relationship concerns, or adjusting to changes in work, family, identity, or other important areas of life.
Our sessions can include practical strategies for what is happening now as well as deeper work around experiences that continue to carry emotional weight. The goal is to help change become something you can experience in your life, not simply something you understand.
Working With Couples
Even strong relationships can become caught in miscommunication, recurring conflict, emotional distance, or hurt that is difficult to resolve on your own. You may care deeply about one another while still feeling like you keep missing each other in the moments that matter most.
I work with couples who want to strengthen communication, deepen emotional connection, navigate conflict more effectively, and better understand the experiences each partner brings into the relationship. Therapy can also be helpful when navigating major life changes, rebuilding trust, or creating a healthier foundation for the future.
The focus is not on deciding who is right or wrong. Instead, we work to understand what is happening between you, make room for both partners' experiences, and develop more effective ways of responding and connecting.
Working With Families
Families can become strained when communication breaks down, roles change, stress builds, or one family member is struggling in a way that affects everyone. Sometimes everyone wants things to improve but is unsure how to move out of the patterns that have developed.
In family therapy, I help family members slow down difficult interactions, better understand one another's perspectives, and strengthen the way they communicate and respond to each other. Our work may address parent-child relationships, emotional or behavioral concerns, conflict, grief, major transitions, or changes within the family.
The goal is to create a space where family members can understand one another more clearly, communicate needs more effectively, and develop healthier ways of navigating challenges together.