Licensed to practice in California and accepts 41 insurances. Specializes in Grief, Mood Disorders, Trauma and PTSD
Vanesha Brown
(she/her)
Hi, my name is Vanesha but you can call me Vee for short. I am a licensed therapist based in California, and I have 10 years of experience providing compassionate care to diverse communities. I work closely with LGBTQ+ populations and provide recommendation letters for gender-affirming care. I draw from principles of trauma-informed care, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, and attachment theory to promote healing and wellness.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
In our first session, I would like to know your story and the issues bringing you into therapy. I will provide education about the therapeutic process and encourage you to ask any questions you may have.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I think my experience with diverse populations makes me unique. I provide recommendation letters for gender-affirming care and work in alliance with LGBTQ+ communities. I also seek to expand my knowledge and earn certification in treatment modalities such as EMDR.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My goals are to increase access to mental health care for all income levels, and to decrease the stigma related to mental health in black and brown communities.
Specialties
Top specialties
Grief
Mood Disorders
Trauma and PTSD
I identify as
Black / African American
Woman
Serves ages
Adults (18 to 64)
Children (6 to 12)
Elders (65 and above)
Teenagers (13 to 17)
Licensed in
California
Accepts
Aetna
Aetna - ASR Health Benefits
Aetna - Allied Benefits
Aetna - Luminare
Aetna - Medicare
Aetna - Moda
Aetna - WebTPA
Aetna – HealthEZ
All Savers
Amerihealth Administrators
Amerihealth NJ Medicare Advantage
AvMed
Blue Shield
Blue Shield of California - Medicare
Independence Personal Choice 65 PPO
Independence Keystone 65 HMO
Carelon Behavioral Health (Commercial)
L.A. Care PASC-SEIU
L.A. Care Covered
L.A. Care Covered Direct
Sutter Health Plan
IHSS Healthy Workers
Cash - $75 per session
GTEB
Golden Rule
Harvard Pilgrim/UnitedHealthcare
Humana - Medicare
Humana Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)
UnitedHealthcare/Optum
Optum
OptumHealth Complex Medical Conditions
Oscar
Oxford
Surest (formerly Bind)
United Medical Resources
UnitedHealthcare Dual (Medicare & Medicaid)
UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance
UnitedHealthcare Shared Services
UnitedHealthcare StudentResources
UnitedHealthcare/Optum - Medicare
UnitedHealthcare Complete Care (C-SNP)
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods
Attachment-based
Attachments formed early in life are the basis of how we view ourselves and the world. Issues with trust, self-esteem, substance use, and emotional regulation are signs of an insecure attachment that effect our current relationships. I work with my clients to explore attachment patterns, increase communication skills, set healthy boundaries, and seek corrective experiences.
Grief Therapy
Grief is experienced after many types of loss, including a loved one, pet, physical ability, relationship, of stage of life. I use evidenced based practices to support clients as they cope with the emotional pain of grief and adjust to reality of the loss.
Racial trauma treatment
Racial trauma from micro aggressions, police interactions and discrimination affect our and self-esteem. I work with clients to heal racial trauma using a strengths-based, empowerment approach.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is known for its triangle depicting the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behavior. CBT teaches us to challenge the thoughts that are not helpful to us. By challenging unhelpful thoughts, we can influence our behavior and mood. For example, if we feel depressed, we may have an unhelpful thought that “I have the worst life in the world.” We might have the temptation to comfort ourselves with food or struggle with motivation to get things done. But if we challenge the thought “there are some things wrong in my life, but I can problem-solve or get help with the problems I can’t solve.” We feel a little better and a little more motivated to solve problems. CBT is a short-term, solution focused approach useful in treating many mental health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety and depression.
5 ratings with written reviews
August 2, 2025
She’s great.
Verified client, age 65+
June 9, 2025
she's good...a good fit for me.
Verified client, age 65+
May 24, 2025
She was very sensitive while listening to me describe my problems. She was also very helpful in directing me to someone who was appropriate for the problems I'm having.