Associate Kelly Johnson

Kelly is a Social Worker with over 20 years of experience over three Local Authorities, 17 of those specialising in therapeutic and trauma-informed practice around childhood trauma recovery within Adoption and Special Guardianship Support with children and adults. Kelly champions healing from childhood trauma through everyday individual and relational compassion centred practices. Kelly is also an Independent Social Worker working primarily with the charity sector and, alongside, she is training in Systemic Family Therapy.

For Kelly, social work is a conduit for stewarded stories. A living bridge between carrying the intimate and vulnerable truths of lived experience with great care and moving meaning(s) across people, families, and systems to help create change.

Kelly’s professional experience spans management, supervision, clinical governance and commissioning, strategic development, and direct therapeutic practice with families. She loves collaborative and creative rumbling, analytical deep-dives, values-based development and systemic ideas around change. Kelly loves to write and use digital illustration to develop ideas and resources.

"Working alongside Kelly has been an honour. Her courageous leadership and systemic approach deepen her trauma-informed practice, creating spaces for tender and brave stories to unfold. Kelly has a unique gift for helping people feel truly heard, modelling relational practice in all she does."

Jehan Ganachaud, Specialist Clinician


Most used word in relation to Trauma Informed Practice: