09/14/2026
Dr. Chelsea Johnson is a University of Southern Mississippi, Summer ’24 Ph.D. graduate. She chose to pursue her education at Southern Miss for its close proximity to popular locations, such as New Orleans and beaches. She also chose USM due to its accessibility for obtaining a master's and doctorate degree simultaneously. During her time as a graduate student, Dr. Johnson completed assistantships as a clinic coordinator for the Center for Behavioral Health, completed activities at the local head start, and occasional work at an alternative school. Dr. Johnson was also accepted into the UMMC Empowers program during her 4th year as a graduate student.
During her time as a graduate student, Dr. Johnson reminisced on participating in any and all research projects that were offered within the program, focusing specifically on the preschool population and working closely with Dr. Zachary LaBrot and Dr. Emily DeFouw. Dr. Johnson was also granted the opportunity to present at the National Association of School Psychologists Conference.
When asked how this program shaped her experiences in her professional career, Dr. Johnson expressed that she felt 100% prepared to maneuver through multiple placements and roles, understood the importance of school psychology, built great interpersonal skills, and overall felt prepared for internship. She currently works as a licensed psychologist at Southeast Psych Nashville (a private practice). In her current role, Dr. Johnson enjoys completing evaluations for children up to 18 and providing families with clarity about their concerns. Completing evaluations for families is great because many times they feel that they are "missing a piece to the puzzle", and a comprehensive evaluation can provide further clarification. Dr. Johnson’s future career goal is to create a "one-stop shop" for pediatric services, such as being able to provide psychological evaluations alongside other services, including academic intervention, speech language pathologists, and occupational therapists, etc.
Since completing the school psychology program, Dr. Johnson is most proud of passing the E-PPP, an exam that is required to receive a licensure to practice psychology. Dr. Johnson explained the importance of never giving up, emphasizing how although she failed the E-PPP twice before she passed, she did not let that discourage her from carrying out her career goals.
When asked about what she would tell current and future students of the program, Dr. Johnson said “Take advantage of any opportunities that come your way, it may seem like a lot in the moment, but you’ll be thankful for that experience in the long run. Don’t stress too much! Everything will get done, even if not right now.” Dr. Johnson emphasized the importance of leaning on your cohort members, not being afraid to ask for help, time management/prioritizing, and building relationships with your faculty (even if they may seem intimidating at first).
Lastly, Dr. Johnson was asked who would she have coffee with, past or present, and why? Dr. Johnson stated, “My dad; he passed away while I was in grad school, and a good chat with coffee would be nice.”
Congratulations, Dr. Johnson for your continued contribution and care for your community and the populations you serve!
