“My passion to delve into the hidden psyche and nourish communities resiliency rather than punctuate their struggles is what motivates me to become a clinical psychologist and serve as a guide to members of the LGBT community.”

Turning hope into action is nothing new to Johanna.  In what can only be described as a ground-breaking move, Johanna turned opporunity into achievement.

After securing a grant that enabled nine LGBT youth to take a series of classes at the Media Arts Center and create a youth-produced documentary.  The documentary, Altared Lives, evolved from an 8-minute short to a half-hour documentary exploring the intersections of religion, coming out and sexuality of queer youth of color.  The film was accepted and screened at the 2006 San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.

Johanna's amazing clinical abilities are only matched by her insight into others.  Her colleagues often seek her guidance on how to better their own skills.  Her feedback is insightful, clear, and relevant to the personal and clinical work at hand, rooted in her passion to create social change in context of the communities she serves.