Vanessa Martz, LPC

Vanessa Martz is an experienced counselor whose life story informs a compassionate, grounded approach to therapy. She brings a wide-ranging background that includes work in science, the military, and higher education, and she draws on personal experience as 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. Clients note that she has a motherly way about her, and she couples that warmth with decades of practical caregiving - she is a biological and adoptive mother to five children and has fostered 26 children over a span of 33 years.

As a Christian and a licensed pastor who provides pastoral services, she integrates spiritual reflection into her work when appropriate and tells potential clients that she will at times challenge spiritual beliefs as part of the therapeutic process - those who are not open to exploring spirituality are encouraged to seek a different match. She has faced violence and loss personally and has completed substantial grief work both on her own and with clients, a background that deepens her empathy for those coping with trauma, bereavement, and major life transitions.

Vanessa practices with flexibility in methods rather than strict adherence to a single school of thought. She frequently combines cognitive behavioral techniques with grief work but expands her approach to meet each person where they are. Her aim is not to force change but to support clients in finding peace with their choices and in rediscovering the joy of living. Vanessa Martz, LPC - Licensed Professional Counselor.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Vanessa Martz draws on several established methods to guide online work, beginning with client-centered therapy. This approach focuses on listening deeply, honoring the client’s perspective, and creating a supportive space where people can explore values and choices - it works well for relationship concerns, life transitions, and emotional processing. She also uses cognitive behavioral therapy, a practical method that helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and develop new behaviors and coping skills; CBT is often effective for anxiety, depression, and stress-related challenges. Emotionally-Focused Therapy is another tool she employs to help couples and families understand and shift interaction patterns that cause disconnection or repeated conflict.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative part of the therapeutic process. Vanessa will work with each client to assess needs, goals, and personal preferences and then tailor techniques so the work feels useful and respectful of the individual’s beliefs and life context.

Online therapy with Vanessa is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, which makes scheduling more flexible and allows access from home or while traveling. These options help accommodate busy lives, mobility limits, and varied comfort levels with face-to-face interaction, while allowing therapists and clients to focus on meaningful progress together.