About The Owner Chantelle Johnson, MA, NCC, LPC.
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Soul Care is a Christian Counseling and Psychotherapy Service provided by Chantelle Johnson, MA, NCC, LPC.
CLINICAL BACKGROUND LICENSURE AND CERTIFICATION: Licensed Professional Counselor in the State of NC Nationally Certified Counselor Certified PREPARE-ENRICH Counselor EDUCATION: MA in Counseling – Alliance Graduate School of Counseling, Nyack, NY CLINICAL EXPERIENCE: STEPS Developmental Academy, Critical Access Behavioral Health Agency (CABHA) –Team Lead & Therapist One Care Behavioral Health, CABHA –Team Lead & Therapist Intensive Rehab Health Services, CABHA– Team Lead & Therapist Full Circle Health – Intake Coordinator, Counselor U.S. Army - Fort Hamilton – Marriage Enrichment Counseling Brooklyn Tabernacle, Mercy Ministries – Counseling Intern State University of New York (SUNY) Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center – Counselor SUNY University Center for Academic and Workforce Development Bridge Program – Case Manager PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATION: American Association of Christian Counselors |
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My Story...Thank you for visiting my website. My name is Chantelle Johnson and I am a Nationally Certified Counselor and a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of North Carolina. I am also a certified to use the PREPARE-ENRICH program for seriously dating couples, engaged couples and for marriage enrichment.
I received a Masters of Arts degree in Counseling from Alliance Graduate School of Counseling. I also hold a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management from NC State University and an Associates of Arts Degree in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, NY. Although my background is unique, I have always wanted to help others to overcome obstacles and achieve their God given dreams. By nature, I am a dreamer and in spite of my own personal obstacles, I have been blessed to live out many of my childhood dreams which were to be a singer, fashion designer and now a therapist. I grew up in North Carolina and spent some my younger years on a farm and was later raised in a part of town where I experienced and witnessed many of the societal ills that are often associated with living in a low income area in the South. It was not until my teen years did I realize that I was poor, Black and considered at-risk. With that realization, often came a sense of inferiority and conflicts in trying to fit in with my more affluent peers. |
But God…When I was four years old, and yes, I can remember life back that far (actually even further back to before one) my mother shared with me the concept of God, a heavenly father that was out there who loved and was there to help people, including me. My mother became very active in church and by the age of 7 years old, I made the decision to accept Jesus as my personal savior and was baptized.
Although, I did not have a full realization of what that decision meant, it has been a growing relationship with this Jesus over the years that has sustained me through my life, from past to present. This relationship with a loving God, through Christ has helped me in overcoming a family history that has included generational themes of alcohol abuse, domestic violence, teen pregnancies, marital separation and a loss of several childhood friends due to unwarranted violence. Often while growing up, it has been my dreams that helped to keep me going and it was my faith in Jesus Christ that helped me believe that those dreams were possible. As a teen, I had a lot of anger issues but I believe that God placed some instrumental people in my life, extended family members, neighbors and teachers that cared enough about me to intervene and encourage me that I could have a life different from what I had experienced in the past. As a teen, by God’s grace and with the help of others, I was able to change my perspective on life and believe that in Christ, all things are possible. I developed an attitude that I did not want to grow old without fulfilling God’s purpose for my life and overcoming fears and obstacles. I became determined to use my God given gifts and talents for his glory. Since my teen years, I have been blessed to accomplish many childhood dreams that include graduating from college, studying fashion design and working on Seventh Avenue in New York City, working in corporate America as an Assistant Vice President at Merrill Lynch in Financial Reporting, working in other banking positions with Bank of America & Citigroup, singing at a variety of venues while living in New York City including Lincoln Center (as a backup singer) as a Gospel soloist and worship leader. I have also served in the Army National Guard---not quite a dream but I am proud of the time I served and it helped provide me with a foundation of discipline and structure that I needed as a teen when I joined. |
Where does counseling come in?So glad you asked. I strongly believe in the scripture, Luke 12:48 that says, To whom much is given, much is required. I have a passion for pouring into the life of others the life giving support that was given to me as a teen that has made the difference in helping me to make choices that I believe have helped me over the years to be a better person---not perfect, but better.
While working at Merrill Lynch, I began the Christian counseling program at Alliance Graduate School of Counseling. I left corporate America less than 3 weeks before the tragic events of 9-11. I believe that God allowed me to leave the job when I did because one, I would have been walking under the Trade Towers when the first plane hit and two, because He is sovereign and had other plans for me. My first counseling job was in a Welfare-to-Work Bridge program where I worked with a team to help mostly women overcome a variety of barriers and secure gainful employment and/or pursue higher education. I later worked as a counselor in a vocational program with the State University of New York Brooklyn Educational Opportunity Center where I helped to provide counseling support for students desiring higher education and economic self-sufficiency. My Christian counseling experience was through Brooklyn Tabernacle’s Mercy Ministries, working with teens and adults pursuing literacy and GEDs and then with Full Circle Health in Bronx, NY providing faith based mental health services for a variety of clients and organizations. My best position ever has been that of wife and mother. After our son was born, my husband and I moved to Charlotte, NC to slow down and have a better quality of life for our family. Since moving to Charlotte, my counseling experience here has been with Community Enhanced Programs as a therapist and as a Team Lead providing staff supervision and clinical oversight for both children and adult clients. In my work, I have observed that over 90% of clients I interview profess a Christian faith and report that their faith is an important part of their life and impacts how they live. I started Soul Care as a part time private practice in order to offer clients the opportunity to receive care from a distinctively Christian worldview. Although my main focus is Christian Counseling, I work with people of any level and type of faith. My goal is not to tell anyone what to believe but to meet people where they are in discovering what they feel is best for their lives. Because I have had to sort out issues of my own, and am always seeking to grow as a person, I have benefitted from counseling and know what it’s like to be on both sides of the counseling relationship. Also, I am a member in good standing with the American Association of Christian Counselors and have met all the training and licensing requirements with the NC Board of Licensed Professional Counselors. |
