Johanna Riojas

About Johanna

Johanna Riojas, Psy.D is a Psychologist who graduated from Regent University in 2020. As a trained clinician, Johanna has 5 years of experience in the field and is licensed in Texas.

What makes you enjoy working with seniors? I enjoy the variety in life experiences when working with older adults. Some older adults I encounter are seeking out mental health for the very first time, so I get to be a part of a brand new journey and get to educate them on mental health and how it can benefit every aspect of our lives.

For others, mental health has been and continues to be a lifelong journey, and it is a true honor of mine to be able to collaborate with these lifelong learners as they continue to improve their mental wellness. Why do you think online therapy is effective for seniors? Accessibility!

Virtual therapy is a vital component of wellness because it can occur in the comfort and safety of your own home. This allows older adults who may be more vulnerable to airborne illnesses the ease of participating in high quality mental health care without having to travel to an appointment or be exposed to individuals who may be sick. How do you approach therapy sessions?

With warmth and curiosity. You know your life and I know mental health, and together we can collaborate on meaningful goals and desired outcomes. You're in the driver seat here, I'm just the person who can help you read the map and get you to where you'd like to go.

What is your advice to someone who is starting therapy for the first time? It's probably going to be uncomfortable and more work than you expect. I get you for 53 minutes a week, you get you the remaining 10,027 minutes.

This means that together, we will talk about what brings you in, I will offer some insight or feedback that I think may help you understand what may be playing a role in your concerns, and then suggest something that can help. Together, we will tailor the suggestion to be accessible to you. And then after that, between our sessions, the time is for you to practice what we talk about, reflect on how it did (or didn't) work, and then bring it in to discuss and adjust in your next appointment.