Just a Person: Living Authentically with ADHD and PTSD through CMI Therapy
This episode is packed with insights as host Robert Adleman sits down with guest Estefana Johnson, who surprised him when he asked her to describe herself. Instead of listing her many accomplishments, she simply said she was “just a person.”
They discussed the importance of living authentically—embracing your true self without masking.
Later, the conversation turned to Estefana’s work leading the launch of Critical Memory Integration (CMI), a groundbreaking therapeutic model that dares to ask: What if talk therapy isn’t enough?
Estefana Johnson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and experienced trauma therapist with over two decades of experience in mental health. She began her career in 2001 as a Behavioral Health Technician, briefly stepping away in 2005 to teach in Japan. Her diverse background spans multiple roles and settings, including residential treatment for at-risk youth and medical social work.
CMI is turning heads in the mental health field by challenging the long-held belief that trauma can simply be desensitized or cognitively reframed. Instead, it dives beneath the surface, helping clients uncover and rewrite the unconscious survival strategies that continue to shape their lives long after the trauma has passed.
Estefana currently serves as a Dosing Session Monitor at Lighthouse Psychiatry and TMS in Gilbert, Arizona, where she contributes to both clinical care and research trials exploring the therapeutic use of psychedelics.