Meet Dr. Velisa Johnson
Dr. Johnson considers the full picture of a person’s experiences – not just test scores. Her goal is to help patients and their families understand how the brain works and outline a roadmap to support growth. Dr. Johnson approaches every evaluation with compassion, deep respect for each person’s individuality, and scientific rigor. She works closely with the patient, caregivers, physicians, schools, and other multidisciplinary teams when appropriate to provide clear diagnostic clarification and targeted recommendations.
Dr. Johnson is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist and certified pediatric neuropsychology subspecialist. She obtained her certifications through the American Board of Clinical Neuropsychology (a specialty board of the American Board of Professional Psychology). She is licensed to practice in Michigan, California, and Hawaii.
Dr. Johnson’s journey began with six years of active duty service in the United States Air Force (USAF). After her enlistment, she earned her doctorate degree (PhD) in Clinical Psychology with a concentration in Neuropsychology from Fielding Graduate University in Santa Barbara, CA. Her doctoral training included 3 years of pre-doctoral clinical rotations (practica) at UCLA Semel Institute and Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital as well as a 1-year internship at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) / USC Keck School of Medicine. She completed a 2-year postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Neuropsychology at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital in Grand Rapids, MI.
Dr. Johnson opened Westside Neuropsychology, PLLC in November 2025 following her role as Section Chief of Pediatric Neuropsychology at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital. She provides neuropsychological evaluations to children and adolescents, Independent Medical Evaluations, and psychological evaluations for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).
In her free time, Dr. Johnson enjoys creating art and animations. Creativity is an important part of her life and reflects the imaginative and thoughtful lens she brings to her work. She often uses her artwork to develop personalized social stories and she creates animated content on social media to help people learn about neuropsychology in an engaging and accessible way. Her mischievous cat (Eren Yeager) and rambunctious dog (Mikasa) keep her on her toes and serve as a daily reminder to stay curious and embrace a free spirit.
Professional Affiliations
