Alison Johnson, Psy.D, M.Div

Mental Health Minister

Licensed Psychologist 

 

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Alison earned her MA in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh

and her PhD in Psychology from Pepperdine University. She is the

co-founder of Summit Psychological Services (SPS), a private

psychotherapy practice where, for more than 33 years, she combined

clinical work with leadership of the practice, serving as its

Managing Director until 2026. Throughout those years, Alison

maintained her own clinical caseload at SPS while also supervising

interns and permit holders and overseeing the development and

management of the practice. Her clinical experience includes particular

expertise with young people, substance use and addiction, group psychotherapy, and ten years incorporating Equine Assisted Psychotherapy into her work.

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A growing desire to explore the intersection of psychology, spirituality and meaning led Alison back to school to earn a Master’s degree in Divinity from Drew Seminary.

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Alison has been a member of the United Methodist Church of Summit for 26 years, where she has taught Sunday School, served on the Education Committee, and currently chairs the Worship Committee. She is also actively involved in preaching and worship leadership.

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In 2026, Alison made an intentional shift. She handed over the business leadership and day-to-day management of SPS to another psychologist while continuing her clinical work and maintaining an active caseload there. The change created something she had been seeking: the time and space to develop a parallel expression of her life’s work through the church’s new nonprofit Mental Health Ministry.

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Appropriately enough, the two worlds are literally across the street from one another. Alison continues to work with clients at Summit Psychological Services on one side of the street while developing a ministry devoted to mental health, faith and community on the other. She sometimes thinks a zip line between the two would be useful.

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Recovery is also an important part of Alison’s story. Alongside decades of professional experience working with people affected by substance use and addiction, Alison is herself a person in long-term recovery, with 37 years of lived experience. This combination of professional expertise and personal understanding particularly informs Came to Believe, a ministry rooted in the spirituality and wisdom of the Twelve Steps.

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At the heart of Alison’s work is a simple conviction: we are whole human beings. Mental health, spirituality, relationships, community and our lived experiences cannot easily be separated from one another. Her hope for the Mental Health Ministry is to create a compassionate and welcoming place where those worlds can meet — where people can speak honestly about mental health and recovery, explore questions of faith and meaning, find community, and discover new possibilities for healing and hope.