Jennifer (Jen) Johnson is a mindfulness coach, therapist, and speaker. She is also an author and photographer.
Jen has been a mindfulness teacher and counselor for 40+ years and has been making photographs since she was 7 years old. She teaches people how to cope with difficult times more skillfully and more fully embrace life’s joy and beauty.
Jen is a Mindfulness Instructor for University of North Carolina’s Program in Integrative Medicine. She is a North Carolina State Coordinator for the Climate Psychology Alliance of North America.
Jen’s personal experiences with loss inspired her work in stress reduction, grief, and coping with illness. Her work is grounded in neuroscience research and focuses on how we can rewire the brain toward greater peace, happiness, and well-being. Jen has studied brain science since the early 1980s. During that time, she worked in the Neurotoxicology Division of the Health Effects Research Lab at the EPA. In the mid-1990s, she also worked with clients with brain injury at Shepherd Center rehabilitation hospital.
Jen’s work with trauma survivors started in the early 1990s. She served as Helpline Director for a child abuse prevention crisis hotline. She then worked with spinal cord and brain injury survivors at Shepherd Center. Later, she worked on a contractual basis as the statewide Coordinator for Independent Living Needs for the Veterans Administration in Georgia. Jen created a grant funded project, Invisible Wounds of War, that offered mindfulness, photography, and writing workshops for veterans.
Jen honors the teachers who have influenced her work:
Stephen Levine, Robert A. Johnson, Francis Weller, Marion Woodman, Rita Charon, Carol Maso, Minor White, Lobsong Tenzin Negi, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Rick Hanson, Ronald Siegel, Deb Dana, James Pennebaker, and Piety Eloise.
EDUCATION AND CERTIFICATION
B. A. Psychology, Meredith College
M.S. Counseling, Georgia State University
M.S. Rehabilitation Counseling (Illness & Injury), Georgia State University
M.F.A. Interdisciplinary Arts (Creative Writing & Photography)
Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in NC (LCMHC) #6478
Licensed Professional Counselor in GA (LPC) #2891
Board Certified Coach (BCC) #3925
Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) #14905
Board Certified Counselor (NBCC) #26687
Board Certified-TeleMental Health Provider (BC-TMH) #893
Experienced Registered Yoga Teacher (E-RYT-200)
Yoga Alliance Continuing Education Provider (YACEP)
HeartMath Trauma-Sensitive Certified Practitioner
Reiki Master
Certified Permaculture Design Specialist
Certified Master Birder. Atlanta Audubon, 2005
Certified NC Environmental Educator
ADVANCED TRAINING
Mindfulness and psychotherapy
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction with Jon Kabat-Zinn
Narrative Medicine with Rita Charon, MD
Therapeutic writing
Resilience
Photography therapy
Creative Arts Therapy
Nature-Based Therapy
Ecotherapy
Climate psychology
EcoDharma
The Work That Reconnects
Grief Tending with Francis Weller
Creativity coaching, writing coaching
Wellness coaching, health coaching, life coaching
Disaster mental health
Climate justice
PUBLICATIONS
“This is Your Place” in Bearing Witness: Poems for Troubled Times. Edited by Jennifer Polhemus & Alan Abrams. Sligo Creek Publishing. 2026.
“Mindful Writing for Transformation” book chapter in Transformational Journaling for Coaches, Therapists, and Clients: A Complete Guide to the Benefits of Personal Writing. Routledge, 2021.
“Making Peace with Your Inner Critic” book chapter in The Creativity Workbook for Coaches and Creatives: 50+ Inspiring Exercises from Creativity Coaches Worldwide. Routledge, 2019.
“Healing Bodies & Souls through Writing and Photography” PainPathways Magazine Fall 2016 print edition.
Learning to See Invisible Wounds of War op-ed. StarNews November 11, 2015.
“Meeting Pain with Mindfulness” PainPathways Magazine. Summer 2014 print edition.
“After the Diagnosis: Coping with Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity.” Guest Author, CeliacCorner Blog. 2013.
“Finding Joy After Loss.” Psychology Today Blog Guest post for Eric Maisel’s Rethinking Psychology blog. April 2, 2013.
“10 Things You Can Do to Reduce Stress.” mindbodygreen.com September 14, 2012.
“5 Things You Can Do to Live a Mindful Life.” JenningsWire: The World of Success. October 24, 2012.
“Are You Balanced? Here Are the 7 Kinds of Wellness You Need.” mindbodygreen.com November 12, 2012.
“How to Commit to Your Creativity“ Republished by Creativity for Life. October 2012 (no longer in publication on this site). Republished by Creativity Post. Originally published on Jen’s blog in 2011.
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction: Improve your sense of wellbeing” Naturally ILM. April 2012.
“How to Meditate Part I –Awareness of Breath Meditation.” JenningsWire: The World of Success. November 6, 2012.
“How to Meditate Part II — Mindfulness of the Body.” JenningsWire: The World of Success. December 5, 2012.
“How to Meditate Part III: Mindfulness of Feelings.” JenningsWire: The World of Success. April 18, 2013.
Feature: ” The Value of a Vacation” New Life Journal. June 2009.
“The Wreck,” “After The Wreck,” and “Plastic Surgery Phase II” poems transposed onto photographs. The-Healing-Muse: A Journal of Literary and Visual Arts.October 2008, Volume 8.
Feature: “The Healing Power of Writing From Life” New Life Journal. July 2008.
“A Sister’s Call.” Writing published in conjunction with photography exhibit by Rebecca Schaper. Emory University Law Library, Atlanta, GA. 2006.
Authored “Acquired Brain Injury Vocational Rehabilitation Manual.” Shepherd Center, Atlanta, GA. 1998.
“An Overview of Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction Syndrome.” University of Florida/Intellicus Life Care Plan Training Program. Module 3- Multiple Disabilities section, pp. 55-70. 1997.
Chapter “Vocational Rehabilitation with Persons With Acquired Brain Injury” in Shepherd Center’s Acquired Brain Injury Program Family Training Manual. 1996.
Authored “Child Abuse Prevention and Survivor’s Helpline Training Manual.” Georgia Council on Child Abuse. 1994.
GRANT AWARDS
2015 and 2017 recipient of The North Carolina Humanities Counci’s “Standing Together Grant” to support Invisible Wounds of War project.
2016-2017 recipient of The Arts Council of Wilmington & New Hanover County’s “Regional Artist Project Grant” to support Ghost Trees photography exhibition.
TEACHING RESIDENCY
Wells College, Aurora, NY. March 7 -11, 2016. Teacher and writer in residence. Taught interdisciplinary courses on mindfulness, photography and writing to Creative Writing, Theatre and Dance, Psychology, Human Services and Pre-Health students. Provided mindfulness workshops to the campus and local community.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Mars Hill College: Expository Essay; Documented Essay
A-B Technical Community College: Expository Writing
Antioch University McGregor: Journaling for Transformation
UNC-Asheville College for Seniors: Writing From Life; Witness Narratives: Stories of Survival
UNC-Wilmington Osher Lifelong Learning Institute: Meditation for Stress Reduction
Georgia State University: Teaching assistant for Roger Weed, PhD, Rehabilitation Counseling program
Private Classes & Workshops: Mindful Writing; Mindful Writing for Transformation; Mindful Journaling for Transformation; Mindfulness for Resilience; What Remains: Finding Beauty in a Broken World; Being Resilient in Difficult Times; Narrative Witnessing: Stories of Survival; The Heart of Self-Compassion; Awakening the Heart to Joy; Creating Clear Intentions.
JEN’S WORK HAS BEEN FEATURED IN
Coastline: A New Year, A New You? WHQR’s Coastline talk radio show.
WECT-TV “First at Four” How Mindfulness Can Help You Reduce Stress & Feel Happier
WECT-TV “First at Four” Tips on How to De-Stress
Online gallery of Invisible Wounds of War exhibit UNCW Randall Library
Beneath the surface Wilma Magazine November 2015.
Jen Johnson’s remarks at the Invisible Wounds of War exhibit opening reception video courtesy of UNCW
WHQR Interview Healing Invisible Wounds. WHQR Radio Midday Interview with Gina Gambony August 2015
WHQR Interview Invisible Wounds of War. WHQR Radio Midday Interview with Gina Gambony October 2015
Wilma Magazine. “Slowing Down: Eating Mindfully During the Holidays. ”
Wrightsville Beach Magazine. “Live Well.”
PHOTOGRAPHY COLLECTIONS
Georgia State University
Shepherd Pain Clinic
Atlanta Medical Clinic
Merrill Lynch
private collections
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026. Writing with the Earth. Halyburton Park Nature Center, Wilmington, NC
2017 Ghost Trees. Expo 216. Wilmington, NC
2017 Invisible Wounds of War. The Arts Council of Wilmington Gallery. Wilmington, NC
2015 Invisible Wounds of War. UNCW Randall Library. Wilmington, NC
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2020 Ghost Trees. Art in Bloom Gallery. Wilmington, NC
2019 Art of the Image ’19. Art in Bloom Gallery and theArtWorks. Juror Beth Handler Riebe. First Place Award Winner for “The Answer Lies Within” from the Ghost Trees project.
2017 State of the Art Art of the State. Cameron Art Museum, Wilmington, NC
2016 Ghost Trees. Into the Deep online group show.
2011 ONE. Haustudio, Ivanhoe, NC
2008 Asheville Then & Now. YMI Cultural Center, Asheville, NC
2007 Crossing Over: Looking from There to Here, Looking from Here to There. The Annexe Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2006 Whimsical Dreams of August. Avenue Art Gallery, Endicott, NY
2006 A Sister’s Call. Writing published with photography exhibit by Rebecca Shaper. Emory University Law Library. Atlanta, GA
2005 ten. The Seen Gallery. Atlanta, GA
2003 Photographer’s Choice. Atlanta Photography Group Gallery, Atlanta, GA