Providing Hope and Compassion for Your Journey Through Life

• ABOUT
• OUR TEAM

Vanessa is a Licensed Associate Counselor working under the supervision of Dr. Roxane Thorstad. Vanessa completed her Masters degree at Ottawa University in Phoenix, AZ and has a graduate diploma from the Phoenix Seminary in Christian Counseling.  Vanessa’s internship experiences included working at the Scottsdale Bible Church Counseling Center and as the primary therapist at the Arizona Christian University (previously Southwestern College) Counseling Center.Vanessa’s undergraduate degree in psychology is from Asbury University in Wilmore, KY. 

Prior to moving to Phoenix in 2003, Vanessa worked as the Director of College Ministry at a non-denominational church and as the Co-Director of Programming and Administration for a non-profit college ministry, both in KY, where her love for mentoring and helping young people find safe spaces to integrate issues of life and spirituality were expressed.  Since 2003, she has worked extensively with the indigent seriously mentally ill in Maricopa County in direct service, supervisory, and clinical training roles.  She has also recently taken on adjunct instructor positions at Arizona Christian University and Phoenix Seminary and is excited about pursuing her passion for teaching.

Vanessa’s works with a wide variety of clients and especially enjoys working with late adolescents and young adults.  Her areas of specialization include trauma and abuse recovery, gender and sexuality issues, depression, anxiety, stress management, codependency, identity and self esteem issues, self harm, and group work.  Vanessa believes that therapy is most effective when personalized, creative, and collaborative, and uses a wide variety of cognitive and experiential techniques aimed at helping her clients reach authentic wholeness and health.