Hi! I’m Dr. Tabitha Johnson. I’m a marriage and family therapist, author, speaker, and happily married wife to my husband, Derek. When I was 16 years old, all I thought about was getting married, and I was convinced that I would be married when I was 18. Well, things didn’t go as I had planned (thank God). Since I wasn’t married at 18, my parents convinced me to go to college. During my studies for a bachelor’s degree in psychology, I fell in love with the field of marriage and family. I pursued both master’s and doctorate degrees in the field, going straight through and completing nine years of school without any time off (if you’re reading in between the lines, that basically means I had no life except for school).  Finally, after multiple boyfriends, three college degrees and relocating to various states for school and jobs four times, I married the love of my life when I was 29.

During the 17 years of being in the field of marriage and family, I have specialized in premarital education (premarital counseling). I spent my entire doctorate program studying couples and researching what makes couples succeed in marriage. I’ve also studied what makes people feel disconnected in marriage and divorce. If you’re like most people, you would like to lower your chances of divorce and increase the possibilities of having a happy marriage. Fortunately, there’s lots of research demonstrating that successful marriages require each person to use healthy relationship skills, and you can learn those relationship skills right here!

If you’re reading this page, I’m assuming that you have an upcoming wedding. If so, congrats! I’ve worked with hundreds of couples, and I’m excited to have the opportunity to work with you. My goal is to help you successfully gain the skills needed to make your marriage happy, healthy, and successful.

My Biography

I received a Master of Science degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Valdosta State University, and a Doctorate of Philosophy in Marriage and Family Therapy from The Florida State University. I am a licensed marriage and family therapist in Florida, licensed clinical supervisor, and clinical fellow in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy. I have also served as a couple and family educator, professor, and early childhood specialist. I established the Healthy Marriage Initiative for the state of Mississippi, and was instrumental in shaping Mississippi’s public policy, working alongside Mississippi’s Department of Human Services and Mississippi Center for Public Policy. I also partnered in successful projects with Family Life and am recognized as a national authority in the field of relationships, with guest appearances on American Family Radio, Focus on the Family, WJEB TBN Affiliate, WJXT Channel 4, and on Fox30/CBS 47 Action News evening news shows as their marriage and relationship expert. I have also been featured in online posts and writings for the Huffington Post, Woman’s Day, About.com newlyweds section, and mywedding.com. In 2016, 2017, and 2018, I was honored to be named one of Jacksonville’s top three counselors by Three Best Rated.

I am married to my husband, Derek, and we live in Jacksonville, Florida. In addition to providing premarital education, I own a private practice, where we provide counseling to individuals and couples struggling with relationship issues. In my free time, I enjoy cooking, traveling, and shopping (shoes and handbags are my weakness).