Vanessa Martz is an experienced, older counselor based in Alabama who brings 28 years of clinical practice to her work. Clients describe her as having a motherly way, and her broad background includes careers in science, military service, and higher education.

Her life experience deeply informs her therapeutic perspective. She is a veteran, the widowed spouse of a veteran, the mother of a disabled veteran, and the daughter of a World War II veteran who lived with PTSD. She is both a birth and adoptive mother to five children and has fostered 26 children over 33 years. She has also remarried and navigated blended family challenges.

As a Christian and a licensed pastor, Vanessa provides pastoral services alongside clinical care. She has experienced violence and loss and has done extensive grief work personally and professionally, which contributes to a strong empathy for clients who have faced similar events. She expects to explore spirituality during the therapeutic process and will challenge a client’s spiritual beliefs when appropriate – clients who do not wish to examine their spirituality are advised to seek a different therapist.

Clinically, Vanessa relies on a blend of approaches rather than a single method. She draws heavily on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with Grief Resolution Therapy, while remaining flexible to expand techniques to meet each client’s needs. Most of her clients report that they gained help or experienced measurable growth in therapy.

Her therapeutic aim is not to impose change but to help clients find peace with the choices they make moment to moment and to encourage an ability to embrace the joy of living. She holds a Licensed Professional Counselor credential in Alabama, license LPC01770, and uses her combination of clinical skill and lived experience to support individuals and families through difficult transitions.