Faith-Informed Therapy for Black Women
You were taught that faith means
pushing through.
Therapy is where you finally get to
put it down.
For high-achieving Black women navigating the intersection of faith, culture, and the relentless pressure to hold it all together — this is a space that understands all of it.
You’re in the right place if...
You grew up being told to "pray it away" — and you're realizing some things need more than that.
Your faith is important to you, but you don't want a therapist who lectures you with scripture. You want one who respects it.
You've felt spiritual guilt about needing therapy — like it means your faith isn't enough.
You're carrying church wounds alongside everything else, and you need space to be honest about that without shame.
You want to feel whole — not just spiritually strong. There's a difference, and you're starting to feel it.
What the church got right — and what it sometimes
got wrong
Faith can be a profound source of strength, community, and meaning.
For many Black women, it's also been the place where the message "just be strong" was most consistently reinforced.
Where self-sacrifice was called devotion. Where needing help was reframed as lacking faith. Where burnout was pushed through with prayer — and the quiet cost of that was never named.
You don't have to abandon your faith to do this work.
And you don't have to defend it, explain it, or edit it to fit into a therapy room that doesn't understand it.
This space does.
The questions no one has ever
asked you.
01
What have you been pretending is
fine?
We start here — not with your goals or your history, but with the truth you've been editing out of every conversation. The fatigue you call productivity. The resentment you call dedication. The grief you call being strong. This is where we stop performing and start being honest. This is the one hour where nothing is required of you. No filtering, no editing, no managing how it lands. Just space to think, feel, and say the thing out loud before you've cleaned it up.
02
What would you ask for if you believed you deserved it?
This is the work most women have never done. Not setting boundaries as a strategy — but actually believing your needs are worth naming. We untangle the internalized narratives that taught you asking is weakness, and you practice something that may feel radical at first: telling the truth about what you need. You'll feel the old guilt rise up the first time you say it out loud — and you'll have a space that doesn't rush you past it, doesn't minimize it, and doesn't ask you to immediately feel okay about it.
03
Who are you when no one needs anything from you?
This is where integration happens. Not a summary — a discovery. Not someone else's definition of who you should be — yours, finally quiet enough to hear. The woman who walks out of this work knows who she is outside of her roles, her titles, and her usefulness to everyone else. And she's decided what she's building next.
How faith shows up
in our work
I don't practice scripture-based therapy, and I'm not going to prescribe prayer as a therapeutic tool.
What I do offer is something many faith-background women say they've never had before: a space where their spiritual history is honored — the ways it's shaped their identity, their relationships, and the messages they carry about worthiness, rest, and asking for help.
If your faith is central to your life, it will be central to our work — because your whole story is welcome here. If you're questioning, rebuilding, or somewhere in between, that's welcome too.
What you won't have to do is explain why church culture made you feel like needing support was a sign of weakness. I already understand that. And I know how deep those roots go.
In our first session, we're not assessing you — we're just starting to name what you've been carrying. Most women say that alone feels different by the end of the hour.
Hi, I’m Dr. Jacquelyn Johnson
I specialize in helping high-achieving Black women break free from burnout, perfectionism, and emotional isolation — especially those navigating the complicated intersection of faith, identity, and the pressure to hold it all together.
I've spent over a decade working with high-achieving Black women — the ones who are the superstar at work and at home, who manage and care for everyone but rarely receive that same care in return, who've never quite felt like they've earned the right to rest. Women who are hyper-independent and deeply competent, not because that's who they naturally are, but because somewhere along the way, the people who were supposed to show up didn't — and competence became the shield.
Here's why I'm passionate about this work: because I've lived it. I know what it's like to carry the weight of being "the strong one," to question your faith in silence, to wonder if needing help means you're doing something wrong — and to build a wall of self-sufficiency so high that asking for help stopped feeling like an option at all.
Needing help doesn't mean you're doing something wrong — and the wall you built to protect yourself doesn't have to stay this high forever. And I'm here to help you reclaim a version of healing, rest, and identity that honors your full humanity — not just what you've spent years giving away to everyone else.
I know the cost of silence, of over-functioning until you're running on empty, of giving so much of yourself away that there's nothing left to call your own. And I also know the freedom that comes when you finally choose you.
Book your session
Investment
- $250 per 50-minute session
- A limited number of sliding scale spots may be available.
- I don't accept insurance directly, but many PPO plans reimburse 60–80% of session costs through out-of-network benefits. Check what your plan would cover in about 30 seconds
- This isn’t surface-level support. This is deep, reflective, and transformative work designed to help you unlearn self-abandonment, reconnect with your truth, and build a life that finally feels like
you.
Wondering what your insurance would cover? Check in 30 seconds:
What’s included?
- 50-minute individual therapy sessions, offered virtually for your convenience and privacy.
- A personalized, faith-informed approach that blends psychological depth with compassionate presence.
- Integration of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Positive Psychology— chosen specifically for patterns of over-functioning and self-erasure, not applied generically.
- Optional monthly reflection worksheets to support deeper insight between sessions.
- Occasional between-session support via secure messaging or email check-ins.
- A therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, emotional safety, and lasting transformation.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between "Christian counseling" and what you offer?
Traditional Christian counseling integrates scripture, prayer, and biblical frameworks directly into the therapeutic process. What I offer is different: it's psychologically grounded therapy with deep cultural and spiritual fluency.
I understand the faith landscape — the messages about strength, sacrifice, and silence that many Black women received in church communities. That context informs how I listen, what I name, and how I hold your story. Your faith is respected here. But the tools we use are clinical, evidence-based, and designed to create lasting change — not just spiritual encouragement.
If you want a therapist who gets the faith world without making it the frame, you're in the right place.
Is it okay if I’m questioning my faith?
Yes. This is a safe space to bring your doubts, your wrestlings, and your honest questions.
Many women I work with are reexamining the version of faith they were taught—one that praised silence, sacrifice, and burnout as signs of devotion.
Christian therapy doesn’t shame you for asking hard questions. It creates space to explore what no longer serves you and reconnect with a God who honors your humanity, not just your hustle.
You don’t have to abandon your faith to reclaim yourself.
And you don’t have to abandon yourself to be faithful.
Is needing therapy a sign of weak faith?
Many women come here having been told to "just pray it away" — and feeling quietly ashamed that it wasn't enough. This work doesn't ask you to choose between your faith and your healing. It asks you to bring your whole story, including your spiritual history, into a space that knows how to hold it. Seeking support isn't a failure of faith. For most women I work with, it's the most courageous act of self-honesty they've ever taken.
How does virtual therapy work?
All sessions are held virtually using a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You’ll receive a private link before each session—just click and join from wherever you feel most comfortable. Virtual therapy is just as effective as in-person care and gives you the freedom to show up exactly as you are.
What technology do I need?
You’ll need a stable internet connection and a device with a camera and microphone (like a smartphone, tablet, or computer). Headphones are helpful for privacy but not required.
Do you accept insurance?
I'm an out-of-network provider, which means I don't bill insurance directly — but if you have a PPO plan, your out-of-network benefits may reimburse a significant portion of each session, often 60–80% after you've met your deductible. I've partnered with Mentaya to make this simple: you can check your benefits instantly, and if you qualify, Mentaya files claims on your behalf for a 5% fee per claim (about $12.50 for a $250 session) — no paperwork on your end, and if a claim needs to be resubmitted, they handle that at no extra cost. Reimbursement timing varies by insurer, typically a few weeks to a couple of months, with the first claim taking the longest. Prefer to handle it yourself at no extra cost? I'm happy to provide a superbill (a detailed receipt) you can submit directly — just call your insurance and ask specifically about your "out-of-network outpatient mental health benefits"; that phrase gets you to the right answer faster.
Worth knowing before you submit claims: Insurance reimbursement — whether through Mentaya or a superbill — requires a formal mental health diagnosis, which becomes part of your medical record. Reimbursement also depends on "medical necessity," so it may end when you no longer meet criteria for that diagnosis, even if we're still doing meaningful work together. To be clear: none of this affects our actual work — you pay privately either way, and our sessions are never directed or limited by an insurance company. Some clients decide the reimbursement is worth it; others prefer to keep a diagnosis off their record entirely. Both are good choices, and I'm happy to talk it through.
What if I need to cancel a session?
I understand that life happens. I ask for at least 24 hours’ notice to cancel or reschedule a session. Cancellations made within 24 hours will be charged the full session fee.
Good Faith Estimate (No Surprises Act)
This Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of services that are reasonably expected for the expected services to address your mental health care needs. The estimate is based on the information known to us when we did the estimate.
The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur. If this happens, federal law allows you to dispute (appeal) the bill.
If you are billed for more than this Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill.
You may contact the contact listed above if billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can request an update to the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available.
You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill.
There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on this Good Faith Estimate. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount.
To learn more and get a form to start the process, go to:
www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call CMS at 1-800-985-3059.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call CMS at 1-800-985-3059 .
This Good Faith Estimate is not a contract. It does not obligate you to accept the services listed above.
"Dr.Jackie is an amazing clinician. She is fully invested in helping her clients heal, grow, and realize that their value is not directly tied to their education, work title, or what they can offer others. Her authenticity helps you feel safe and supported as you engage in difficult dialogue in the therapeutic process. She’s truly one of a kind!"
Dr. Jaquelyn G.
"Dr. Johnson is one of the most empathic, open, and grounded clinicians I've ever had the pleasure of working with. She is skilled at fostering emotionally safe, nonjudgmental space that allows for the trust necessary to engage in deep transformative work"
Dr. Cassell
"Dr.Jackie is an amazing clinician. She is fully invested in helping her clients heal, grow, and realize that their value is not directly tied to their education, work title, or what they can offer others. Her authenticity helps you feel safe and supported as you engage in difficult dialogue in the therapeutic process. She’s truly one of a kind!"
Dr. Jaquelyn G.
"Dr. Johnson is one of the most empathic, open, and grounded clinicians I've ever had the pleasure of working with. She is skilled at fostering emotionally safe, nonjudgmental space that allows for the trust necessary to engage in deep transformative work"
Dr. Cassell
Testimonials
You don't have to choose between your faith and your healing.
You never did.
You just needed a space that could hold both — without judgment, without pressure, and without requiring you to explain why this is complicated.
That space is here. And it's yours when you're ready.
