(she/her)
Hi there! I'm Vanessa. I was a social worker for a long time before I became a therapist, and that is the foundation of my approach to therapy. I specialize in working with clients with chronic illness, those who care for them, and folks experiencing life transitions. I’m based in Silicon Valley, but provide service via Telehealth throughout California. I have a body-neutral stance and a person-centered, LGBTQ+-affirming practice.
At the end of our session, you will feel heard and have new insights to why you feel the way you do today. We'll work together on a plan to ease your way through your time of transition, or the length of your caregiving or illness.
I understand, personally and professionally, what it is like to navigate the healthcare system and manage both the physical and emotional needs of oneself and others. As a social worker, I am trained to guide you not only through the emotional journey, but also through acquiring resources and other supports for your journey. I believe you are the expert-all the answers are inside you, and we'll work together to bring those out.
As a long time professional caregiver and a person living with a chronic illness myself, I understand that both caregiving and receiving care can be stressful, complicated, and sometimes feel unmanageable. We will likely work well together if you are open to identifying your strengths and challenges and setting goals for how you would like to manage them in the future. In time, we will practice establishing boundaries and maintaining clear and assertive communication to maintain them in the future.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
We will explore your automatic thoughts and assumptions, identify cognitive distortions, and work on re-framing those in a way that is manageable and realistic, while acknowledging that there are sometimes hard truths.
Eclectic
I use a client-focused, eclectic approach, depending on your needs. I often work with people in times of life transition, so we may use motivational interviewing or solutions-based strategies together, along with narrative therapy or even reminiscence therapy if appropriate. You are the expert in your own life and we will work together using aspects of various therapeutic modalities to bring out the answers.
Motivational Interviewing
When we encounter resistance to change or feel like we are "stalled" in therapy, motivational interviewing can unlock the hidden obstacles and help increase our readiness for change.