Hello, I’m Vanessa. Before I get into the boring but important details about my education and experience, I want to thank you for the opportunity to share with you my passions as a therapist. First and foremost, I am humanistic in my work. That means that I believe in the resilience of the human spirit and I value the importance of building a good rapport with my clients. I embrace a strength-based lens in my work which means that I will focus on what you do well rather than what is wrong or “disordered.” I’m also passionate about collaborating with my clients and I will work with you as a teammate rather than as someone who "knows better."  I want to meet you where you are without pushing you to do something that you don’t feel is right for you to do. That does not mean that I will not challenge you if needed. I will, but I’ll be thoughtful to be sure that I am working to understand you before I do so. I love when I get to witness clients gain insight about their readiness to change and work through the various stages of change and I am confident that you will get excited to witness that in yourself as well!

My overall goals are to help you achieve YOUR goals, to become more self-aware, to better understand your past, to navigate your present and future, and to help you to feel empowered and hopeful despite life’s hardships. I also hope to support you in finding purpose and your truth as you heal.

Now, for the boring but important stuff as promised! I am educated and trained as a Mental Health Counselor through St. John Fisher College and I have a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Alfred University. As an intern, I worked in a private practice with adults involved in criminal misconduct and that led me to working with children/youth and their families as a drug prevention counselor through Delphi Rise. In addition to working part-time at In Truth MHC, I also work as a Primary Therapist at an outpatient mental health clinic in the city of Rochester with adults who struggle with a wide range of mental health issues. I have also lead support groups and speaking engagements. I believe strongly that therapists should continuously work to strengthen competency in working with diverse populations and I work hard to do that myself.

I have much experience helping people work through anxiety, grief and loss, depression, and navigating life changes and adjustments. Although we do not provide chemical dependency treatment at In Truth Mental Health Counseling, I can provide support and guidance to friends and family members of people with addiction. I can also provide mental health treatment to individuals who are currently struggling with addiction.

Some fun facts about me: I’m born and raised in Brooklyn, so I’d say I’m very down to earth. In my free time, I enjoy being outdoors, taking hikes, taking trips, and doing photography. I love animals with 4 legs and hate animals that are creepy and crawly. I talk to my dogs like they are humans whether they talk back to me or not; it’s not up for discussion.

You may verify my credentials here: https://www.op.nysed.gov/verification-search