Johanna Malaga, PsyD
Founder, Executive Director
Clinical Psychologist
She/Her/Hers
Education & Work Experience
Dr. Johanna Malaga is a licensed psychologist with extensive experience working with college students, graduate students, and young adults. Much of her clinical career has been spent in university counseling centers, where she provided psychotherapy, supervised post-doctoral fellows, and developed trauma-informed programming for students.
Dr. Malaga previously served as Trauma Services Coordinator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Student Mental Health and Counseling Services, where she led a specialty team of clinicians providing trauma-focused care and expanded services for student survivors through consultation offerings and the development of targeted programming. She also spent nearly a decade as a Senior Staff Psychologist at Boston College’s University Counseling Services. During her time at Boston College, she created the HEAL program, a series of support groups and workshops for survivors of sexual violence, and developed and led the HEAL retreat—an immersive experience designed to provide survivors with community, support, and opportunities for reflection and growth.
Dr. Malaga earned her undergraduate degree from The University of Miami and her Master’s in Mental Health Counseling and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from Nova Southeastern University. She completed her predoctoral internship at Cambridge Health Alliance/Harvard Medical School and her postdoctoral fellowship at Boston College’s University Counseling Services. During her fellowship, she gained extensive experience working with undergraduate and graduate students navigating a wide range of emotional, relational, and academic challenges. During her internship, she trained in the Cambridge Health Alliance’s Latino Mental Health Program, where she provided psychotherapy in Spanish to Latinx patients, in addition to working with children, families, and adults in English in a community mental health outpatient setting. Her graduate training in child development and family systems, combined with her later work with young adults in college counseling, allows her to understand how early relational experiences continue to shape emotional patterns, identity development, and relationships in adulthood—particularly for those navigating the impact of trauma.
“The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
-Rumi
Treatment Approach
I approach my clinical work with curiosity, compassion, and deep respect for each client’s lived experience. I feel grateful to have found a calling that is both meaningful and fulfilling, and I value the opportunity to sit with clients, learn their stories, and support them in making sense of their pain while deepening their understanding of themselves. I believe there is profound power in feeling truly seen and heard within therapy, especially in moments of vulnerability.
My treatment approach is integrative and grounded in psychodynamic theory. I help clients gain insight into the unconscious patterns and past experiences that shape their thoughts, emotions, and relationships, with the goal of fostering greater self-awareness and a stronger sense of agency in their lives. At the same time, I recognize that insight alone is not always enough. With that in mind, I often integrate nervous system psychoeducation and skills-based strategies to support symptom relief that help clients navigate immediate challenges more effectively.
My work is also deeply relational. I believe that healing happens within safe, authentic, and trusting relationships, and I view the therapeutic relationship as a powerful tool for connection and repair. I am mindful that what it means to feel safe, seen, and understood in relationship is deeply influenced by each person’s individual experience. I am especially attuned to the ways identity and sociocultural factors shape how we experience ourselves, others, and the world. I am committed to practicing with cultural humility and acknowledging the complexity of each client’s intersecting identities.
My hope is to create a space where clients feel seen and known, and where healing and growth can unfold in ways that honor their values and their unique story. It is a privilege to walk alongside my clients as they connect with themselves, feel less alone in their experiences, and move toward a greater sense of being at home within who they are.
Interventions / Certifications
Psychodynamic Therapy
Attachment-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Integrative Therapy
Psychoeducation and Skills Training in Nervous System Regulation
Brief STAIR (Skills Training in Affect and Interpersonal Regulation) Certified Clinician
IFS (Internal Family Systems) Informed Practitioner