Dr. Matthew C. Johnson is a board-certified psychologist and psychoanalyst with nearly two decades of experience spanning psychotherapy, military mental health, clinical supervision, and psychoeducation. He is the founder and head psychologist of Promoting Health, LLC in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and co-owner and Vice President of Off Campus Clinicians in Boston, Massachusetts, an organization dedicated to providing psychotherapy for college students facing demanding academic and personal pressures.

Dr. Johnson began his clinical training after earning his B.A. in Psychology, with minors in Philosophy and English, from Temple University in 2005 and an M.A. in Modern Psychoanalysis from the Boston Graduate School of Psychoanalysis in 2008. He completed his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at The Pennsylvania State University in 2015, where his research focused on military issues, countertransference, and therapist–client dynamics. His postdoctoral training includes a Master’s in Clinical Psychopharmacology from Fairleigh Dickinson University (2018), a Certificate in Adult Psychoanalysis from the Contemporary Freudian Society (2022), and Executive Coaching Foundations and Advanced Executive Coaching Certificates from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School (2024).

His early professional work included community outreach and structural family therapy with underserved populations in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania. From 2009 to 2015, during his doctoral training at Penn State, he provided psychotherapy and assessment across university counseling, inpatient, correctional, and community health settings while conducting research on military mental health, countertransference, and therapist–client dynamics. He went on to complete his APA-accredited internship at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth (2014–2015), where he trained across outpatient, inpatient, primary care, pain psychology, and assessment services. From 2015 to 2021, he served as a clinical psychologist and department head at the United States Naval Academy and Naval Health Clinic Annapolis. In these roles, he provided individual and group psychotherapy to midshipmen, service members, and military family members, served as a prescribing provider managing psychopharmacological interventions, and maintained a high-volume caseload. He also supervised trainees, coordinated care with medical providers and military leadership, guided interdisciplinary collaboration, and directed the department’s broader clinical and administrative functions. During this time, he also contributed to the assessment and selection of Marine Security Guards for the Marine Corps Embassy Security Group, ensuring suitability for highly sensitive diplomatic assignments.

Alongside his military service, Dr. Johnson developed a robust private practice, where he provides long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy and psychoanalysis for adults and couples. His consulting and assessment work has included supporting police officers and other first responders through psychological evaluations and wellness initiatives, as well as conducting disability evaluations for Veterans navigating the transition from service to civilian life. In addition, he has supervised U.S. based and international clinicians, early-career providers, and interns, fostering the development of psychodynamic/psychoanalytic listening skills and cultivating reflective, clinically grounded practice.

Since 2010, Dr. Johnson has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in psychology, psychopathology, psychopharmacology, and psychoanalytic theory. He began teaching at The Pennsylvania State University and has since held appointments at Washington Adventist University, Brooklyn College, the United States Naval Academy, and the Contemporary Freudian Society in both New York and Washington, D.C. In these roles, he has been recognized for integrating clinical experience with academic instruction, making complex concepts accessible while grounding them in real-world application. His teaching has also extended internationally through psychoanalytic organizations, where he has contributed to dialogue on development, trauma, and the therapeutic process. In addition to his teaching, Dr. Johnson has published in Psychotherapy Research, The International Journal of Psychoanalysis, The Clinical Supervisor, and the Journal of College Counseling, advancing scholarship on psychotherapy process, countertransference, and trauma-informed practice.

Dr. Johnson is licensed to practice psychology in seven states and holds PSYPACT authority to provide telehealth services across participating jurisdictions. He is board certified by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), reflecting his commitment to the highest standards of clinical practice. His areas of expertise include trauma, grief and loss, complex characterological challenges, and military and veteran health. He works from a psychodynamic and psychoanalytic perspective, integrating depth-oriented understanding with evidence-based approaches to foster meaningful, lasting change.