Vanessa Fernandez, Associate Therapist

I grew up in the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas as a first-generation immigrant from Mexico. Living close to the US-Mexico border, in an area that is heavily policed and racialized has shaped my perspective as a therapist. My mission is to provide a healing space through individual or group therapy for clients that is liberating, empowering, and does not pathologize their reactions to living in an oppressive system. 

I believe in the power of building and healing in community. Being a teacher pushed me into working in the mental health space. When I was teaching, my middle school students had to share their single counselor with the high schoolers, limiting their access to mental health resources. I ended up creating a mental health club during the start of the COVID pandemic to help them connect and destress outside of the virtual classroom. While it helped my students process what they were going through, it led me to find that I wanted to be a resource in the mental health space. 

I graduated with a Master's of Science in Social Work from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley with a concentration in direct practice with Latino families. I am excited to continue working with communities across Texas through Con Safos Counseling as this practice has shown me what it means to center our clients in our care. 

I aim to work with BIPOC, LBGTQ, and immigrant folks navigating challenges around imposter syndrome, anxiety, building healthy relationships, gender identity, and processing life changes. I am open to working with a diverse age population as my background in education and nonprofit spaces has allowed me to experience working with a variety of age ranges. My practice will be person-centered, using CBT, mindfulness, and a strengths-based perspective that encourages connecting with the mind, body, and brain.