- 28 years experience
- Focus on grief
- Client-centered care
About Vanessa
Vanessa Martz is an LPC with 28 years of experience who brings a long personal and professional history to her counseling. She describes a motherly presence and draws on decades of life events to guide her work. Many clients seek her out for help with grief, trauma, relationship strain, or problems with mood and stress.
Vanessa's background includes service in the military, work in science and higher education, and many years as a caregiver and parent by birth, adoption, and fostering. Those roles shaped how she listens and responds in sessions. She also serves as a licensed pastor and integrates spiritual themes when clients are open to that exploration.
Her approach is practical and flexible. She commonly uses client-centered conversation and cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try different choices. Grief work is a frequent focus, and she draws on approaches that help people process loss and rebuild daily life.
Sessions tend to emphasize clear steps and small experiments clients can try between meetings. Vanessa aims to help people feel more at peace with their decisions and to reconnect with joy when possible. She will invite discussion of spiritual beliefs as part of the work, and asks that anyone not willing to examine faith matters consider a different fit.
People who appreciate direct guidance, life experience, and steady support often find her style helpful. She works with concerns including anxiety, depression, addictions, parenting stress, attachment and family transition issues, and the aftermath of abuse or violence.
Approaches that translate to online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and following the client's lead, helping people feel heard and understood while they name goals. This approach fits issues like relationship stress, self-esteem, and life transitions because it centers what matters to the person seeking help.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at links between thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses small experiments to test new behaviors. CBT is often helpful for anxiety, depression, stress, and patterns that keep people stuck.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) helps people identify and shift emotional responses that affect close relationships. It can be useful when attachment, communication, or commitment concerns are present.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. That may mean combining techniques and adjusting over time so sessions stay useful.
Confirm with the therapist which session formats are currently offered before booking, since the biography does not list specific options. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins or regular weekly meetings when that helps progress. Licensed professionals can adapt these approaches to work well in virtual settings while focusing on practical steps clients can use between meetings.
Areas of focus
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with relationship strain, grief, trauma and abuse, anxiety, depression, stress, addictions, parenting challenges, anger, and self-esteem issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is practical and flexible, using client-centered conversation and cognitive behavioral techniques to identify patterns and try new behaviors.
What is her clinical and life experience?
She has 28 years of experience, a background in the military, science, and higher education, extensive caregiving and fostering history, and personal experience with grief and loss.
What credentials and location should I know about?
She holds an LPC credential and practices in Alabama.
Which languages are supported and are international clients accepted?
Sessions are offered in English and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Please confirm current session formats before booking, as the biography does not specify which formats are used.
How are fees handled?
Costs vary with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin therapy with her?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.