As a Therapist, who are you?
Having the honor of someone sharing their space with me comes with being immersed into a relaxing vibe, as though you’re having a conversation with a long-lost friend. My demeanor and energy adjust to yours; it’s my mission to meet you where you are to help this process run smoothly for you. My life’s journey is to find the greatest comfort when things are outside of my control, as I truly believe that’s when the path to life is clearest. Does this mean that all negative or painful feelings go away in those situations? Absolutely not. Rather, it just helps me closer to accept the circumstances (or people) as they are, not how they “should” be. It helps makes moving forward a lot easier for me.
My top priority is to make you feel comfortable with the pace and dynamics of therapy. I’m a very relatable person and naturally use a bit of humor to lessen any anxiety or tension you might be feeling. I’m a visual learner myself, so I incorporate visuals and a ton of analogies to help you understand difficult concepts. It’s also important to help you feel therapy is an even playing field: I’m not “better than” or treat therapy as a doctor-patient relationship. I’m just a supporting side character that helps you understand and find meaning in your life’s story.
To me, therapy is helping you understand how your experiences, upbringing, and social environment have shaped who you are today. It may involve digging stuff up from the past (even as far back as early childhood) and challenging your typical, unhealthy, or destructive thought patterns.
Sometimes, old painful memories that you haven’t thought about or felt in a very long time come up during therapy, and that’s okay. It’s a process, and you’ll be in a safe space. That said, if I detect any signs of discomfort, tension, or anxiousness in your demeanor, we may stop processing the memory and do grounding or relaxation exercises to help you through it and re-center.
We’ll explore various coping skills you can use in all settings: work, school, or even social outings. That way, you’ll have multiple options when you need them. Lastly, I keep clients accountable for their treatment process, so I assign achievable homework with realistic goals attached to them.
I always like to get a comprehensive view of someone. That’s why we explore your entire history of experiences and symptoms.
I’ve come to understand that no one’s story is the same, so I treat each individual as they are – with their own unique experiences.
Vannessa Fuentes, M.S, LPC are my official credentials
The weight of that title came with a minimum of a Master’s Degree, over 3,000+ clocked-in hours of experience, and too many freaking exams to count! It was a grind, but I’d do it all over again, because I absolutely love what I do.
I’ve worked in the collegiate, outpatient, and inpatient-residential settings for over five years, and I’ve been exposed to various mental health diagnoses and classes. When I encounter unfamiliar territory in the field, I make it my mission to learn everything there is to know about it, seek consultation, and find that answer.