Meet Dr. Shemena:
Your guide to unlocking the heart and mind
I guide adults and couples as they give voice to what has been silent, understand the scattered pieces of their stories, and begin to imagine new possibilities.
Credentials and Background Experience:
Dr. Shemena Johnson, PsyD, LMFT is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Los Angeles
She brings together advanced clinical training, psychoanalytic depth, and cultural consciousness to help adults and couples move through pain, reclaim their voice, and create lives rooted in clarity, connection, and possibility. With a practice grounded in attachment and relational theory, Dr. Johnson guides clients in uncovering the emotional patterns that shape their relationships and sense of self, helping them build inner resilience and intimacy that endures.
She holds a Doctorate in Marriage and Family Counseling, where her dissertation focused on race-based traumatic stress among African Americans, as well as a Master’s in Clinical Psychology from Antioch University and a Bachelor’s degree from California State University, Los Angeles. She completed advanced psychoanalytic training at the Psychoanalytic Center of California and has served as an expert consultant for multiple media outlets, including NPR’s KPCC Radio, TVOne’s Fatal Attraction, and Oxygen’s Mastermind of Murder. As a Black woman clinician, she honors the intersections of identity, culture, and lived experience—bringing both empathy and rigor to her work as a therapist, writer, and speaker.
AS SEEN IN:
How I got here…
As a Black woman shaped by powerful legacies of culture, history, and family, I’ve learned through reflection, connection, and courage to listen for my own voice — to unlearn the patterns I inherited and become the woman I choose to be.
There were seasons when I had to unlearn the versions of myself that were shaped by history — the daughter who stayed quiet, the wife who tried to make peace, the woman who carried everyone else’s feelings but her own. I walked through heartbreak and distance, learned to sit in silence without losing myself in it, and began to understand that healing is not about returning to who you were, but becoming who you were always meant to be. I stopped asking for validation from people who could not give it, and started trusting my own voice, even when it trembled. Each time I chose honesty over comfort, I grew closer to myself. That’s how I arrived here — grounded, clear-eyed, and deeply rooted in the truth that wholeness begins within.
I’m a lifelong student of my work—constantly reading, learning, and expanding my understanding of what it means to heal, connect, and evolve.
Beyond the therapy room:
I nourish my spirit through:
travel and good food
movement and time in nature—whether hiking new trails or grounding through Pilates.
I feel most at home:
in moments of genuine connection
spending time with my beloved partner, family, and friends who remind me of the beauty of presence, laughter, and love.
I can help you to see yourself more clearly.
By guiding you to move beyond old patterns, reclaim your voice, and live with authenticity, emotional depth, and a grounded sense of self, you can create the life and relationships you truly desire.
SERVICES & OFFERINGS
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