James A. Johnson Jr.’s journey from Navy Chaplain to founder of Anger Management Hampton Roads, LLC (AMHR) grew out of decades of serving service members, families, and communities under high stress, where he saw firsthand how unaddressed anger, trauma, and emotional pain could fracture lives and relationships. Drawing on his experience as the Chaplain Corps’ Subject Matter Expert in Emotional Intelligence and his deployments with the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, he developed a deep conviction that people need practical tools, not just insight, to build resilience and regulate their emotions.

To answer that need, he pursued advanced training in theology, marriage and family counseling, trauma, and clinical neurotherapy, steadily shaping a unique approach that blends faith, neuroscience, and evidence-based counseling to promote holistic well-being. As CEO and Executive Director of AMHR, he now channels that background into helping individuals, families, and organizations transform conflict into growth, strengthen communication, and cultivate healthier patterns of thinking, feeling, and relating.

Rooted in his Minneapolis upbringing and refined through years of pastoral ministry and community service in Hampton Roads, Rev. Johnson’s founder story is ultimately about service. It is about walking with people through life’s hardest seasons and equipping them with the skills, insight, and support they need to heal, grow, and thrive with purpose.