Hello, my name is Mike Johnson (LMFT 132140), I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in Los Gatos, California.  I took the long way around to being a therapist.  My background includes film and digital media, a short stint in medical school, and eventually finding my way into therapy.

Looking back, the winding path makes sense.  There came a point when I realized that what I was doing wasn't working for me anymore. I needed to make a change and find a different direction.

That's where the idea of New Intentions came from.

I believe therapy can be part of that process—not because you need to become a completely different person, but because sometimes you need to understand where you are, decide what isn't working anymore, and find a new way forward.

As for what it is like working with me, I draw from existential, acceptance and commitment therapy, and solution-focused therapy. In everyday language, that means we're interested in two things: understanding what your life is like right now and figuring out where you want to go from here.

Rather than spending all of our time looking backward, we'll pay attention to the patterns affecting you today and explore what can help you move toward the future you want.  This is going to involve understanding your values and taking committed action to making changes.  For me, therapy is not talking to someone for an hour each week and that’s that.  Therapy is taking that hour and using it to figure out what active changes to make the rest of the week.  My style is warm, collaborative, direct, and there will be times where I will challenge you when it may be helpful.   Change can be hard, but I want to support you the best way I know how.

This practice is affiliated with Havenly Counseling Collective.