Our Building Better Mental Health series is back with two FREE powerful sessions designed to equip our community with tools to support mental well-being. Join us for one or both sessions as licensed clinical social worker Estefana Johnson leads two impactful workshops designed for the Chandler community.
Workshop 1: Navigating Uncertainty – Understanding Your Stress Response and Regulating Your Nervous System
Tuesday, Sept. 9 | 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Downtown Chandler Library (Cotton Room)
In times of uncertainty, our nervous system reacts in ways that may feel overwhelming, triggering anxiety, fear, or even shutdown. This workshop will help participants understand their stress response, how emotions are generated, and how past experiences shape the way they interpret current events.
Using CMI principles, we will explore practical techniques to regulate the nervous system, regain a sense of agency, and foster emotional resilience. Participants will leave with tools to ground themselves amidst uncertainty and develop a deeper awareness of their inner world.
No registration is needed, but seating is limited. This free event is open to the public.
Workshop 2: Reclaiming Control – Building Strength, Boundaries, and Community
Tuesday, Sept. 23 | 5:30 - 7 p.m.
Downtown Chandler Library (Cotton Room)
When the world feels unstable, it’s easy to feel powerless. This workshop focuses on the locus of control—recognizing what you can influence, where to set healthy boundaries, and how to make a meaningful impact without becoming overwhelmed.
Participants will learn how to support others in ways that empower rather than enable, build community resilience, and foster unity in times of crisis. Through CMI-based strategies, we will explore how to maintain personal integrity while navigating external challenges, ensuring that each person walks away feeling more grounded, capable, and connected.
No registration is needed, but seating is limited. This free event is open to the public.
About Estefana Johnson
Estefana Johnson has spent more than 20 years walking alongside people through some of life’s hardest moments. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and trauma therapist, but what really drives her is helping people reconnect with themselves, find their strength, and feel like they can breathe again when life feels heavy.
Currently, she trains other clinicians in a model called Critical Memory Integration (CMI™️), supports foster and adoptive families through the nonprofit ASA Now, and practices at Lighthouse Psychiatry in Gilbert, where she also supports research on new, innovative treatments for mental health.
At the heart of all her work is a simple belief: healing is possible, and we don’t have to go through hard things alone. Estefana cares deeply about building communities where people feel seen, supported, and reminded that their story—and their life—matters.