Natika Johnson

Dr. Natika T. Johnson, LPC, LCDC, NCC, is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor, and National Certified Counselor with more than 20 years of experience in mental health, substance use treatment, and college and career counseling. Her teaching spans graduate-level instruction in counseling theories, professional issues, group counseling, and clinical practicum and internship within CACREP-accredited programs. She also contributes to workforce development by teaching addiction studies and mental health curriculum in a career college setting, strengthening the behavioral health pipeline at multiple levels of professional preparation.

Her research centers on Black women’s leadership experiences in counselor education and professional counseling organizations. Using an intersectional qualitative framework, she examines how race, gender, and institutional dynamics shape leadership pathways, representation, and sustainability, advancing equity-driven leadership models and systemic transformation within the profession.

She presents on topics including Black women’s leadership in counselor education, social justice and advocacy in clinical practice, impostor phenomenon among emerging professionals, addiction trends across generations, and mental health in marginalized communities. Her work integrates research and clinical insight to equip counselors and counselor educators with practical, culturally responsive strategies.

In clinical practice, she is the Owner and Lead Therapist of Higher Vibrations Counseling Services, serving clients in Texas, Florida, and Vermont. She specializes in supporting high-achieving Black women and couples through a trauma-informed, integrative approach grounded in Solution-Focused Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and somatic interventions. Her professional background includes inpatient psychiatric care, community mental health, juvenile detention, adult probation, clinical supervision, and program operations leadership.

She remains actively engaged in professional service as Senator for the Fort Bend Counseling Association and maintains membership in the American Counseling Association, Texas Counseling Association, and related state divisions. Through teaching, research, clinical practice, and service, she is committed to advancing social justice, mentorship, and excellence in counselor education.