The Bridgework Collective was founded in 2021 by Dr. Marlon Johnson, a professional counselor, professor,, and community advocate. Dr. Johnson worked with many organizations within his church community and across the counseling world to help support and uplift the underrepresented voices within his personal and professional life. While navigating the dual pandemic of COVID-19 and Racial and Cultural Unrest in 2020, Dr. Johnson opened his counseling practice and began to provide consultation and training with local organizations to support Black, Queer, and Faith-adjacent individuals. The business, now known as the Bridge Collective, was born.
These local trainings led to national trainings and collaborations and services to develop strategies which recognize the impact of racial trauma upon one’s personal wellbeing and the wellbeing of their organizations.
VISION
STATMENT
To bridge the gap between individuals seeking healing and the systems that shape their lives, so communities can thrive with dignity, safety, and joy.
MISSION
STATMENT
To provide affirming, culturally sustaining counseling for queer and Black individuals, and equip organizations with research-based strategies that help queer, Black, and faith-rooted communities flourish.
CORE
VALUES
Bridge-Building
Authenticity
Community
Belonging & Accessibility​
Healing Justice
Dr. Marlon Johnson
Marlon Johnson (he/him) is the Dean of Community Life and Associate Professor of Counselor Education at Seminary of the Southwest in Austin, Texas. There, he collaborates with the counseling faculty to prepare individuals to become culturally-inclusive and spiritually-integrated mental health professionals. He is also a licensed professional counselor, community advocate, and cultural systems analyst.
Dr. Johnson’s clinical work centers Black mental wellness, queer and trans-inclusive mental healthcare, and community racial healing activities. He utilizes Narrative and Quare theories to help clients feel seen and safe to explore their identities and experiences within the counseling environment. Dr. Johnson trains scholars and leaders to think critically about cultural inclusion and advocacy within the realms of assessment, career interventions, and counseling practice. As a researcher and advocate, he integrates an intersectional framework to help communities explore Black and Queer identity development, gay male relationship longevity, strategies for racial healing, and mental health access and equity.
Dr. Johnson is a 2025 Alumni of the African American Leadership Institute, a graduate of the Discerning a Call to Theological Education Executive Leadership with the Forum of Theological Education, and a 2018 Fellow with the National Board of Certified Counselors’ Minority Fellowship Program. In fall 2025, he was elected as President Elect of the National Society for Sexual, Affectional, Intersex, and Gender Expansive Identities (SAIGE). Dr. Johnson has published numerous journal articles, provided over 70 academic presentations, offered trainings and consultations for many local, state, and national organizations.
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Dr.Marlon