I take an integrative approach to therapy with an emphasis on a client-centered approach to build rapport and meet the needs of my clients. I specialize in working with trauma survivors, anxiety disorders, and relationship-based issues.

I use a relational and depth-oriented approach that helps my clients find lasting relief from their distress by improving their self-understanding and their ability to tolerate difficult emotions. I begin by establishing clear goals with my clients to address their immediate concerns, and then I work with them to help them see how those concerns relate to unconscious patterns in their lives. I tend to see the concerns that bring my clients to therapy as unique and stemming from their particular backgrounds and experiences. For this reason, my focus is on working with you to find and create the treatment you need, rather than applying "cookie cutter" treatment approaches to your situation. At the end of the day, so much of what makes an effective therapy is the goodness of fit between client and therapist. If you're interested, I hope you'll reach out to see if we might be a good fit to work together today. If we're not a good fit to work together for whatever reason, I'd be glad to talk with you to help you find another provider who is.

Life can be messy and overwhelming, and seeking support is a courageous step. I provide a warm, welcoming space to help you work through challenges, heal from past experiences, and move toward a life that feels more authentic and fulfilling.

I believe we each have the ability within to heal ourselves.

Therapy is an investment of time and energy towards self-awareness and transformation, creating balance and harmony, while instilling hope, and self-acceptance. In my work with individuals, the most common areas of focus involve relationship or self-esteem issues, depression, anxiety, abuse, or those with self-defeating behavioral patterns. Separation, divorce and child custody can be a painful process for parents as well as children. I offer a safe, supportive and nurturing environment to cope with these challenges together while seeking the appropriate tools unique to your situation to facilitate conflict resolution and positive co-parenting. I specialize in helping individuals andor family members who have developmental disabilities and feel powerless to overcome behavioral and social issues. I have 20 years of experience working with children and adults with high function autism in a facility setting. I understand the challenges and I can help. I utilize an eclectic therapeutic approach, drawing from a myriad of psychological therapies and modalities to create a unique client-centered design. As humans, we share many experiences, life events, traumas, challenges, and victories, yet we are all very exceptional individuals in need of understanding, empathy, respect, and acceptance.

Welcome! My name is Vanessa Villasenor and am located at a group practice, A Place of Growth that is located in San Diego, and provides therapy to those throughout San Diego and also throughout the State of California via phone and online counseling. We want to provide a safe place for you to grow. Please contact us to begin your path to improving your overall health. Our mental health is important and should be treated just as important as we take care of our physical health. At A Place of Growth, we provide therapy to those with anxiety, depression, trauma, current medical illnesses to all age ranges including young children.

I work with adults and couples navigating anxiety, grief, and relationship challenges, helping them understand the deeper patterns that shape their emotional worlds. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling stuck—repeating dynamics that no longer serve them, or struggling to connect with themselves or others in the way they want to. My approach is psychodynamic and attachment-oriented, rooted in the belief that our early experiences and relationships influence how we love, communicate, and manage pain in the present. In our work together, we explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion, allowing space for both insight and emotional healing to unfold. I offer a calm, reflective environment where clients can begin to make sense of their inner experiences and reconnect with what feels most authentic and alive. Whether someone is grieving a loss, coping with anxiety, or trying to rebuild trust in a relationship, I help them find meaning in their experiences and develop new ways of relating that foster closeness and self-understanding. My work is deeply relational—I view therapy as a collaboration built on empathy, honesty, and trust. Through that relationship, clients often discover a greater capacity for resilience, self-compassion, and emotional freedom.

Many of the problems that bring people to therapy are the result of using defense mechanisms to avoid facing uncomfortable emotions and conflicts. I help patients identify the defense mechanisms that they are using and overcome them so that they can lead better lives. This process is known as intensive short-term dynamic psychotherapy (ISTDP), and there is a strong body of research to support its efficacy. I also use standard cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), hypnotherapy, and common sense to help my clients solve their problems and improve their lives. I tend to think outside of the box, so if you are interested in a different way of looking at or approaching your problems, we may be a good fit :-) To learn more about my approach to therapy, please visit my website (link under my pic) or call me :-)

Together we will walk through your growth, always providing the safety and support that your healing requires. It is of great importance for me to establish safety for my clients by committing time and care to each individual, both inside and outside of scheduled sessions. I provide scheduling flexibility and off-the-clock support (such as email check-ins throughout the week) as a way of meeting my clients where they are and solidifying a firm therapeutic relationship as you move through your healing. Together we will brainstorm coping activities and tools geared towards your specific needs. I have a firm belief that psychoeducation, or learning about one’s own psychology, is an integral part of the healing process. Together we will utilize psychoeducation and the individualized coping skills needed for you to transform your life.

I hold a safe nonjudgmental space where you can explore, learn new tools, and challenge beliefs that aren't working anymore.

I offer individual therapy for adults and teens and couples therapy. I have over 12 years of experience working in the mental health and treatment field in various capacities. I have extensive experience providing both group and individual therapy to people struggling with substance abuse, behavioral addictions, trauma, mood disorders, and anxiety. My approach to therapy is holistic and integrative, but rooted in person-centered, psychodynamic, and trauma-informed perspectives. At the core of my practice lies a deep belief in the power of authentic connection and the transformative impact of therapy. Having personally experienced the benefits of therapy, I am dedicated to creating a safe and nurturing space where clients can explore their inner worlds with honesty, compassion, and curiosity. I view therapy as a collaborative and creative process rather than a one-size-fits-all solution. I am passionate about and committed to psychotherapy. I believes that asking for support takes a tremendous amount of courage and that it is an honor and a privilege to guide others through this process.

If you’ve been feeling anxious, burned out, or weighed down by the past, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to keep carrying it by yourself. You may be functioning on the outside but feel stuck in old patterns, constantly on edge, or unsure how to move forward. I believe therapy should be a space where you can slow down, feel safe, and begin to make sense of what’s happening beneath the surface. My approach is collaborative, compassionate, and trauma-informed. Together, we’ll explore the experiences that have shaped you, identify what’s keeping you stuck, and work toward relief and lasting change. I integrate EMDR therapy, CBT, and mindfulness-based techniques to help calm the nervous system, process unresolved experiences, and strengthen emotional resilience. You don’t need to have everything figured out before starting therapy. My role is to meet you where you are—with curiosity, respect, and care—and to help you reconnect with your capacity for balance, self-trust, and peace. Healing isn’t about becoming someone new; it’s about coming home to yourself.