Supporting mental health in Black autistic & disabled communities – with Janelle Johnson

Janelle Johnson, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), is a wife, mother, and Founder of Bridges Family Life Center, a Systemic Therapy and Consulting group practice near Raleigh, North Carolina. An award-winning educator and innovative mental health leader, she is often sought out for her social justice advocacy regarding intersectionality of ableism, sexism, and racism. She currently serves as President of the NC Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. A graduate of NC State University and Chapman University, she has returned to her first alma mater as a doctoral student in the Educational Equity program.   

During this episode, you will hear Janelle talk about:

• How she discovered she was autistic during an interaction with one of her clients
• Her experience in school as an undiagnosed autistic child
• How the struggles of a family friend sparked her lifelong interest in psychology
• The importance of having Black and brown therapists who can support Black and brown clients
• How she became a doctoral student in the Educational Equity program, researching the intersectionality of disability and race
• Her personal experience with unmasking as a Black autistic woman and code-switching
• How she teaches leadership teams how to have conversations about race, disability, and other challenging topics in ways that build organizational culture and connection

Find out more about Janelle and her work at the website for Bridges Family Life Center (her therapy and consulting group practice), on Facebook and LinkedIn.

Learn more about FACES for Autism, the advocacy and empowerment program for Black families raising autistic children that Janelle partners with as part of her doctoral research.

Watch the video of this interview on YouTube!

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Read the episode transcript.

This episode features a promo for The Other Autism, a podcast hosted by Kristen Hovet that explores late-diagnosed autism, with a focus on autistic women. Listen to The Other Autism at other-autism.buzzsprout.com or on your favorite podcast app.

*Disclaimer: The views, guidance, opinions, and thoughts expressed in Beyond 6 Seconds episodes are solely mine and/or those of my guests, and do not necessarily represent those of my employer or other organizations.*