My clinical work centers on supporting mothers, partners, and families during the perinatal period. I help parents navigate postpartum mood and anxiety disorders, shifting roles, and the mental load of caring for a new baby. Together, we work toward building connection, confidence, and emotional wellbeing for the whole family.

I provide counseling rooted in maternal mental health, supporting women through pregnancy, postpartum, infertility, and the transition into motherhood. I believe in creating a space for women to feel heard, understood, and allowed to put themselves first in a world that often dismisses their needs.

I know many of us spend up to nine months dreaming of what life will look like and feel like with our baby. We dream of cozy snuggles, sweet noises, smiles, and immense satisfaction including Baby in the life we already have. But sometimes it's not how we imagined. Sometimes, it's much harder than we prepared for. And as mom, we often want to be the one to figure it out and solve all the challenges to prove to ourselves and to others that we can handle it all on our own.

Vanessa is a licensed therapist, certified health coach, and founder of Matrescence in Color — a private practice and coaching brand dedicated to supporting women through the most demanding seasons of early motherhood, with a focus on women of color.

I am a birth-focused mental health professional with a background in neurobiology and specialized training in perinatal wellness, trauma, and reproductive mental health. I earned my B.S. in Neurobiology from The University of Texas at Austin and my M.S. in Counseling from Grand Canyon University. I am a Perinatal Mental Health-Certified (PMH-C) provider through Postpartum Support International, have completed EMDR training, and am a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), where I have also completed specialized infertility training.