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“…in order to be a good therapist, you need to be a good listener.” (Michael Johnson)

Mr. Michael Johnson is a Licensed Professional Counselor with Rawles Psychological Services.  A native of Washington, DC, Mr. Johnson served 22 years in the U.S. Navy Submarine Service, holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Norfolk State University and a Master of Arts in Counseling at Regent University.  Mr. Johnson is happily married to his wife of 36 years and they have 3 children.

Mr. Johnson has over eight years of counseling experience as an intensive in-home counselor and mental health skill builder working with adults with severe mental health diagnosis.  He has served as a parenting coach for 3 years and over five years delivering church-based pre-marital counseling through his church.  Mr. Johnson served as Director of the Healing for the Soul Counseling ministry, where he developed the ministry from the ground up.

Mr. Johnson is an ordained minister and serves as an Associate Minister at Tabernacle Worship Center in Virginia Beach. He has been in ministry since 1984, serving in the Baptist church. 

He has served as Youth Pastor for eight years and Lead Teacher for Sunday School. He assists his pastor in teaching our ministers-in-training in classes designed to prepare them to be ministers of the gospel.

Dr. Farrow earned his Bachelor of Science in General Psychology from the University of Mount Olive and received a Master of Arts degree in Community/Clinical Psychology from Norfolk State University. Dr. Farrow completed his second Master of Arts and his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Fielding Graduate University where he studied under the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Track. Dr. Farrow’s dissertation addressed Perceived Racism and Africultural Coping Styles as a Moderator for Psychological Distress Outcomes Among Young African American Men and Women.  

Dr. Farrow trained in Clinical Psychology at a private practice in Virginia Beach and Norfolk Virginia where he developed skills in psychological and neuro-forensic evaluations, and various forms of therapy (i.e., REBT, ACT, Existential, and Psychodynamic to name a few). Dr. Farrow completed his pre-doctoral internship at Keene State College, in Keene New Hampshire. Dr. Farrow later graduated from Princeton University with a fellowship diploma in Clinical Psychology where he participated in leading small group lectures on racism and cultural-specific coping, college mental health, and other related factors.  

Dr. Farrow's clinical and research interests include areas such as: social justice, social influences on health, racial trauma, cultural-specific stress and cultural specific coping to race-related issues, college student’s mental health, African American men’s issues (including depression and anxiety),  neuropsychology with an interest in concussions (including post-concussive syndrome and athletes’ mental health) and other neuropsychological disorders, spiritual and religious concerns related to mental illness and psychotherapy, stress management and sleeping disorders. Dr. Farrow was a former professor of undergraduate psychology and nursing at several universities in Virginia Beach. 

Dr. Farrow has served on a psychology committee to develop course curriculum, spoke on panel discussions, guess lectured at different educational institutions, held the position of lead faculty chair the health sciences department, and held a position on the board of trustees at a university in Santa Barbara California.   

I am passionate about working with children, adolescents, and individuals seeking to fulfill their personal goals. My goal is to create a safe and nonjudgmental environment to support healing, encouragement, and growth. 

Everyone has unique strengths that can we can build upon to handle challenging life circumstances such as depression, anxiety, trauma/loss, anger, and sexual violence. I value the relationship connections developed through the counseling process and I am passionate about empowering my clients to identify and build upon their strengths to reach their fullest potential. 

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, and Certified Clinical Mental Health Counselor that enjoys using a Person-Centered approach with other evidence-based therapeutic techniques such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness techniques to meet my clients’ needs. 

I also have experience working with adolescents/teens, college students, and adults in both individual, group, and family settings. Sometimes in life we may experience pain and challenges that are too difficult to navigate alone. 

I am an empathetic listener committed to understanding my clients’ needs and building a strong relationship so that we can collaboratively work together to bring clarity, healing, and growth. No issue is too big or too small to discuss.