Vanessa is a Mastered trained Clinical Social Worker who is currently accepting new counselling clients. Clients may have various stressors, mood concerns, grief/loss, life transitions and inter-personal relationship struggles that they are seeking support for. Vanessa also specializes in counselling individuals and their families during their journey with fertility, perinatal mental health and birth trauma.

Vanessa has worked with individuals and families in various mental health and family counselling programs for over 18 years. Her experience and passion for her specialization in her practice is drawn from 7 years work in a perinatal mental health program as well as her own family’s journey through fertility, pregnancy and postpartum.

One’s fertility and perinatal experience can be marked with stress, anger, grief/loss, fears, anxiety, depression and difficulty in interpersonal relationships. Vanessa draws on trust and confidentiality in her practice while she supports you through self-awareness, reflection, reframing and discovering new tools to assist with your relationships, communication (often with support system and professionals), self-care, and growth during your journey. At times it will be suggested to engage a partner or other support person in your counselling as we are most often not alone during the times of our fertility or perinatal experiences. The health of our relationships and support networks are vital to our health and coping during these often-difficult times. Vanessa can also assist with connecting you with complementary health-care practitioners, support groups, reading material and financial aid as appropriate. It is her hope that with this support you will feel more grounded, have increased skills to manage stressors and have a plan how to move into your next life phase thriving.

Vanessa’s theoretical orientation is towards a client-centred, psycho-educational, strength-based approach and her therapeutic approaches are trauma and attachment informed and draw from training in: Narrative Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Mind-Based Techniques, The Gottman Method and Family Systems Theory in her work supporting clients.

Vanessa is a Registered Social Worker with the BC College of Social Work therefore many employee benefit plans will reimburse for her services or they may be claimed on your annual income tax returns as a medical expense.

Education

• Masters of Social Work Degree with Specialization in Mental Health, Dalhousie University - 2014

  • Completed 450 hours of supervised Family Therapy utilizing a Narrative and Family Systems approach with AHS. 

• Bachelors of Social Work Degree, University of Calgary - 2003

Clinical Trainings

• Advanced and Enhanced Accelerated Resolution Therapy Certificate - July 2023

• Basic Accelerated Resolution Therapy - November 2021 

• Gottman Method Couples Therapy - Level 1, 2020

• Certificate of Clinical Social Work Supervision, University of Calgary - 2020

• Foundations of Narrative Therapy - 2014

• Cognitive Behavioural Essentials Training Certificate - 2010

• Trained Facilitator for Strengths Deployment Inventory Personal Strengths - 2010

• Concurrent Disorders Training Program (IHA) - 2009

• Critical Incident Stress Management Certificate - 2008

• Motivational Interviewing, The Associated for Psychological Therapies - 2007

• Cognitive Behavioural Training Level 1 - 2007