LCSW, 10 years of experience
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 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 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.
4 ratings with written reviews
August 2, 2025
She’s great.
June 9, 2025
she's good...a good fit for me.
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.