Vanessa has had experience working at a residential setting providing psychological support for children and youth who have experienced complex traumas.

She also has experience working at a special needs school providing psychological support for neurodiverse children with emotional, social and behavioural challenges, as well as providing psychological support for caregivers. She also has experience conducting cognitive assessment to assess for school readiness as well as experience conducting clinical interviews to assess an individual’s capacity to make decisions based on the Assisted Deputyship Application Program (ADAP).

She has special interests in working with: Depression, anxiety, substance abuse and interpersonal difficulties that stem from early traumatic experiences.

She has been trained in different therapeutic approaches and guided by some of their theoretical concepts such as stemming from Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART), Bowen’s Family Systems and Narrative therapy, Family Assessments, Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT), Social Thinking Training, Yoga Based Psychotherapy Group (YBPG), Bringing up great kids parenting programme and Therapeutic Dolls for trauma responsive Practice with children.

In her previous placement, she has had experience working with adults who come in with a range of issues they would like to work on. For example, to process loss, life dilemmas and choices, coping with anxiety and depressive symptoms, interpersonal issues and anger management.

As a psychologist she believes that every client requires a targeted intervention approach taking a very holistic view to understand the client’s needs. We are continuously being shaped by our experiences with our stories continuously evolving. She believes that therapy can be a safe and reflective space for the individual to restory their lives and make new meaning. She is passionate about learning and providing the best practices from the leaders in the field of psychotherapy to better be able to help clients heal and lead a more meaningful life.