Paula Johnson, Registered Clincial Counsellor

I had a friend tell me once that I needed to learn to be vulnerable.  That I needed to learn to “let someone else drive the car”, metaphorically.  It took me aback because on the outside I may seem like a driven, hardworking, and “go getter” type of person.  I have worked hard for everything that I have achieved.  Yet, this conversation gave me a reality check, that my consciousousness and overzealous attitude can sometimes be a cover for my anxious state inside.  From a young age, I learned to take care of not only myself but others.  When I was a teen, I left home.  I found comfort with a friend and lived with her family for a couple years.  As a teen, couch surfing, I still managed to get to school every day because that seemed like one structure I had in my life.  I didn’t feel a lot of security or support in my life, and frankly, felt lost.  The way I seemed to create safety in my life was by being driven.  On the outside I pretended to have it all together, for a very long time, I felt broken.  I thought there was something wrong with me.  It wasn’t until I was in my late teen/early 20s I sought out counselling and recognized that I carried a lot of grief, sadness, and loss.  This manifested as anxiety and depression.  These were feelings I couldn’t even touch without bursting out in tears and following apart.  Yet, that was the first time I really felt I could put the pieces back together.  Things started to fall into place for me. See, I have always wanted to help people but I needed to help myself first.  When I was in my early 20s, I had a dream that changed the course of the direction of my life.  I was working at a law firm as a legal assistant.  The dream was so intense when I woke up in the morning, I quite my job.  All I knew is I needed to help people.   At 23 years old, I had no idea even where to begin.  Yet, I trusted something in me to guide me.  Have you every had a strong pull that made no sense? That pull guided me to school.  When I realized I had to go to university to become a therapist/counsellor, I cried for 2 days because the broken piece inside of me said, “I wasn’t smart enough, good enough, or deserving enough.” With that came a strength in me, a calling that I couldn’t deny and my dream that guided me to follow this path was shining a light.  Opportunities started to come my way.  I was so afraid, but I took that next step.

I made it a mission for myself, that if I could fill that hole I felt inside with love for myself, create freedom for myself, and be happy, truly happy, on the inside out, I would be free.  I remember my counsellor saying upon meeting me, he said, “Paula you are a diamond in the rough”.  Did you know that was one of the kindest things I had heard about myself and could believe it?  I thought that maybe I could dust myself off, polish myself up, and I could shine.  That is what I set out to do.  I knew I could help others do that as well, just as someone had helped me.  I started my journey over 25 years ago.  I have helped 1000s of children, teens, women and men work through traumatic events, break free from things in their life that was blocking or sabotaging to them, helped them overcome anxiety and depression, resolve trauma, overcome abusive situations, and supported them to find that strength (like I did) to walk out of their shame, their fear, and their feelings of worthlessness, and continue on a journey to live the live they were meant to live.

Over 25 years later, Paula Johnson is the founder of the Women’s Empowerment Hub, therapist, teacher, past life regression healer, and #1 International Best-Selling Author who gets fired up guiding women (and men) to create success and live abundant lives.  Paula has an ability to get right to the heart of the matter that blocks people from creating what you want in their life.  She holds two degrees, a bachelor in Child and Youth, Family Counselling, and a Master’s degree in Counselling Psychology. She is a registered therapist with the British Columbia Association for Clinical Counsellors.  She continues her ongoing training to help people overcome what is holding them back from living a life full of purpose. She set out on her own journey of healing and combines her 25 years of personal development, education, spiritual teachings, and knowledge, and has developed programs that are a culmination of her personal and professional development.  She intertwines evidence-based therapeutic practices, as well as, practical and spiritual practices and has helped to inspire, motivate, and empower thousands of people to liberate sabotaging blocks and behaviours, overcome anxiety and depression, resolve trauma and PTSD in order for you to cultivate successful relationships, career, and life.