My Resume

Clinical Experience

Private Practice 8/87-Present
San Luis Obispo, CA and Stamford, CT

Therapist in private practice. Specializing in alcohol, eating, gambling, and sexual addictions. Treatment modalities include brief and long-term psychotherapy utilizing individual, couples, and family therapy. Obtained initial CA supervisory training in January 2000. Have completed follow-up coursework as required and supervised a total of twelve trainees / interns. Completed second level training in EMDR.

Twin Cities Hospital 12/03-Present
Templeton, CA

Sole social worker for 110 bed hospital with 10 bed ICU. Provide counseling to patients and families, including crisis intervention and trauma therapy in Emergency Room. Member of Interdisciplinary Practice and Ethics Committees. Liaison to hospital chaplains. Responsible for coordinating staff response to patients with combined medical and psychological issues. Evaluate patients for transfer to psychiatric hospital. Assist families in making end-of-life decisions.

Designed and implemented innovative program to reduce staff stress during two year process of moving high risk medical units, ICU, ER and OB, to new hospital facility.

Rehab Care/Sierra Vista Hospital 4/98-12/03
San Luis Obispo, CA

Medical social worker. Provided counseling and case management to patients on rehabilitation unit. Diagnoses include stroke, TBI, and post-surgical complications. Ran support groups for patients and families. Provided in-service training to hospital staff on psychological topics. Supervised MSW. Responsible for streamlining department procedures and forms.

Alliance Home Health/Sierra Vista Hospital 1997-1998
San Luis Obispo, CA

Medical social worker. Performed home visits to the elderly. Conducted assessment and referred clients to needed resources.

Community Counseling Center 1997-1998
San Luis Obispo, CA

Intake coordinator for family service agency. Performed initial intake interviews, assessment, and placement for individuals, families, and children. Responsible for updating intake procedures and forms.

Kaiser Permanente 1989-1990
Stamford, CT

Primary therapist for HMO. Responsible for initial intake, assessment, and outside referrals. Conducted brief psychotherapy using play therapy and individual, couples, and family therapy. Led workshop for adult children of alcoholics.

Family and Children’s Service 1987-1989
Stamford, CT

Therapist for caseload of twenty clients, 10 to 87 years of age. Half of caseload were multi-problem indigent families. Continued specialization in alcoholism, incest, and child abuse. Led support group for adult children of alcoholics.

Family Service of Yonkers 1985-1987
Yonkers, NY

Therapist for caseload of thirty clients, 6 to 65 years of age. Specialized in alcoholism, incest, and child abuse. Supervised agency’s intake process.

Guidance Center of Camden County 1984-1985
Cherry Hill, NJ

Therapist for caseload of fifty clients, 3 to 76 years of age. One third of caseload were deinstitutionalized mentally ill adults. Established therapeutic group for children of single parent families. Led therapeutic group for schizophrenic adults.

Irving Schwartz Center for Children 1983-1984
Philadelphia, PA

Full-time field placement. Therapist for eleven learning disabled children and their parents.

Family Service of Philadelphia 1982-1983
Philadelphia, PA

Full-time field placement. Therapist for individuals and couples.

Volunteer Experience

Philadelphia Committee for the Homeless 1983-1984
Philadelphia, PA Outreach Worker

HOMES Halfway House 1981-1982
Ithaca, NY Life Skills Trainer

Suicide Prevention and Crisis Service 1981-1982
Ithaca, NY Telephone Crisis Counselor


Other Work Experience

Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research 1978-1982
Ithaca, NY Research Specialist


Education

Smith College School for Social Work PhD Student
Northampton, MA 2010 Class

Smith College School for Social Work MSW
Northampton, MA August, 1984

Thesis: Street Women of Philadelphia – An empirical study of homeless and vagrant street women.

President of Student Government.

Winthrop College B.S. - Cum Laude
Rock Hill, SC December 1977

Professional Affiliations

National Association for Social Workers EMDRIA - EMDR Practitioners Association

Publications And Professional Papers – Social Work

Johnston, Liz (2004), 100 Clinical Vignettes, self-published, San Luis Obispo, CA

Johnston, Liz (1998), Oral Exam Casebook, self-published, San Luis Obispo, CA

Johnston, Liz (1989), Co-Dependency: Feminist Perspectives, paper, Fourteenth National Conference on Feminist Psychology, Newport, RI

Johnston, Liz (1985), Homeless and Vagrant Street Women of Philadelphia, paper, Tenth National Conference on Feminist Psychology, New York, NY

Publications And Professional Papers – Biology

Wood, H.A., Johnston, L.B., and Burand, J.P. (1982), Inhibition of Autographa Californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus Replication in High Density Trichopulsia Ni Cell Cultures, Virology, Vol. 119 (2), pp. 245-254.

Wood, H.A., Hughes, P.R., Johnston, L.B. and Langridge, W.H. (1981), Increased Virulence of Autographa Californica Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus by Mutagenesis, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Vol. 38 (2), pp. 236-241.

Johnston, L.B., Vernick, S.H., and Sprague, V. (1978), Light and Electron Microscope Study of a New Species of Thelohania (Microsporida) in the Shrimp Pandalus Jordani, Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, Vol. 32 (3), pp. 278-290.