Vanessa (V) is a licensed psychologist and psychometrician who works holistically and with deep respect for each person’s lived experience. Her work is rooted in a trauma-informed and anti-oppressive lens, supporting people to reconnect with their strengths, honour their unique identities, and feel more at home in themselves. Vanessa works with clients across the lifespan, with a particular focus on adolescents and adults navigating trauma, addiction, complex PTSD, grief, anxiety, depression, and relationship or family challenges. She believes that healing is not one-size-fits-all. Her approach is integrative and grounded, drawing from body-based and behaviour therapies that support both emotional and nervous system regulation. Vanessa holds a strong belief that trauma lives not only in the mind, but also in the body, and that unhealed trauma can be passed through families across generations. Her work is guided by a commitment to reducing the impact of trauma in both children and adults, with the hope of supporting collective healing and helping break cycles that no longer need to be carried forward. Vanessa has a special interest in supporting people who: - are living with grief in its many forms, including grief that arrives before a loss, lingers longer than expected, isn’t always recognised by others (such as the loss of a pet), is shared within a community, follows sudden or traumatic events, or surfaces much later in life - are creatives — writers, artists, and makers — who feel disconnected from their creativity or stuck in a season of creative block - are navigating women’s concerns, including postpartum depression, identity shifts, and experiences shaped by racial and cultural intersectionality - have experienced trauma or complex trauma, especially when it continues to shape emotions, relationships, or a sense of safety - have long felt like an outsider, carrying a quiet sense of not quite belonging - experience dissociation, such as feeling distant from their body, emotions, or the present moment - notice ongoing attachment or relationship patterns that make closeness, trust, or emotional safety feel difficult Since 2022, Vanessa has offered pro bono mental health support to mothers experiencing postpartum depression and individuals from underserved and marginalised communities. She is also the co-founder of Brainspotting Philippines Training Consultancy Services, which aims to expand access to trauma-informed, neuroscience-based training in the Philippines. Beyond her clinical work, she is a published poet, with writing featured in local and international publications, and has received national and international poetry fellowships. Education Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology (2020) Licensure Registered Psychologist Registered Psychometrician Licensed Professional Teacher Certifications Brainspotting Phase 1 Brainspotting Phase 2 International Expansion Brainspotting Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Ongoing Certified Trauma Professional (CTP) Ongoing Certified Grief Professional (CGP) Ongoing Specialised Training - Essential Tools for Trauma Healing (EMDR and somatic interventions) - Grief Intervention and Complexities of Traumatic Grief - Traumatic Grief: Cognitive, Behavioural, and Somatic Approaches - Cultivating Post-Traumatic Growth - Brainspotting and Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy - Poetry, Prose, and Brainspotting - Brainspotting and Family Systems Constellation - Perinatal Trauma