Schedule with Vanessa

Dr. Vanessa Gross, MD, MA, AMFT

Associate Marriage and Family Therapist #AMFT-126046
619-877-2560

Employed by A Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling Corp
Supervised by Dr. Joe Raphael, DrPH, MBA, LMFT

As your therapist, I will listen to your story and work with you to craft an individualized approach to therapy based on your situation and circumstances. I have experience helping clients dealing with a variety of issues by using a number of different therapeutic approaches catered to each need. If you’re struggling to overcome the challenges you face, I invite you to consider Christian counseling as part of your healing and recovery journey. By relying on the Holy Spirit for direction, it’s possible to be set free from the aspects of your life that are hindering your growth and experience lasting joy and peace.

Irvine (Online) – Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu & Fri

About Dr. Vanessa

I offer professional Christian counseling for children, teens, adult individuals, couples, families, and groups. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, trauma, depression, or other difficult emotions or painful life events, my goal is to establish a treatment plan to meet your needs and walk with you through the healing process. In my practice, I incorporate a number of therapeutic approaches based on each client’s situation in order to facilitate the most effective treatment for your needs. With God’s help and direction, lasting hope and recovery are possible. I look forward to watching Him work in your life through Christian counseling.

My Goal as a Christian Counselor

My goals as a Christian counselor include helping my clients find strength in their faith and ultimately increase the peace they feel in their daily lives. Each individual is different, and I aim to meet each client where they are to establish a treatment plan that will meet their unique needs. I am humbled that God chooses to use me in my line of work to break chains and help lead clients to freedom from anxiety, depression, and other concerns that may be weighing them down.

What I Offer in Christian Counseling

I offer a welcoming, compassionate space where clients can feel safe, heard, and at ease, as if talking with a close friend. I enjoy the process of getting to know my clients, and I work to build trust from the moment I first meet with them. Clients can expect an individualized approach based on their own unique needs and preferences. In my practice, I seek to weave in different interventions and a direct approach including a balance of “seriousness” with levity to challenge my clients towards growth.

My Approach to Christian Counseling

One significant benefit of Christian-based counseling is that it is open to being led by the Holy Spirit, especially by incorporating prayer, which brings divine wisdom as well as strength that cannot be found in solely human efforts. As it says in the Bible, “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them” (Mathew 18:20). Being able to experience God’s presence in healing as well as His guidance is extremely powerful.

Biography

Qualifications & Experience

I have a BA in Psychology from St. Thomas University in Houston. I received my Master’s in Clinical Counseling from Point Loma Nazarene University in San Diego. I am also licensed as a Medical Doctor (MD).

My Call to Christian Counseling

My own journey of working with a Christian therapist during a difficult season in my life inspired me to want to help others as a primarily faith-based therapist. I would not have been able to have the same experience with a secular counselor, and now I’m thankful to be able to offer guidance to others using a faith-based approach including prayer and the true, lasting peace that can only come from Christ.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I really enjoy traveling, being outdoors, and staying active with activities like yoga, kayaking, and hiking as well as exploring new areas with my Wirefox Terrier, Chester.

Services & Specialties

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

Depression

I start by developing trust and working to build a therapeutic relationship while offering hope that what you are experiencing now will lift and is temporal. Very soon within the beginning of therapy, it is important to examine thought patterns and the ongoing dialogue that may be playing out that is often subconscious. I find incorporating CBT techniques early on can often provide results within the first two months of therapy, as my clients will learn to change unhelpful thought patterns. I also incorporate behavioral activation techniques which is often assigned as “homework” to help my clients build momentum in their daily lives.

Trauma and PTSD

When dealing with trauma, I make sure to encourage my clients in their journey, as healing is a very individual process that looks different for each client and is nonlinear. By leading with a client-centered approach, I move at the client’s pace and help build up coping skills such as grounding as needed. This approach often incorporates different areas and techniques such as inner child healing, emotional processing in different forms (writing, yoga, art interventions, guided visualization exercises), creating a timeline, core belief work, and narrative therapy.

Codependency

Codependency is an area in which clients often benefit from more psychoeducation, which can help further their self-awareness of codependent relational patterns, where they stem from, and the purpose they have historically served. As clients come to understand themselves better and their emotional needs, boundary work becomes very important. This includes how to set healthy boundaries in various contexts, which is modeled within the session and therapeutic relationship and practiced in between sessions. I support my clients by helping them find their voice in communicating and advocating for their own needs.

Chemical Dependency and Substance Abuse

Clients struggling with various forms of substance abuse benefit the most from an integrative approach that combines support from other healthcare professionals as well as the family system, when possible. I work with the client to uncover the underlying issues that fuel the dependency as I conceptualize substance abuse as an unhealthy coping mechanism or “Band-Aid.” It is also important to address any underlying guilt or shame associated with the use that can hinder recovery and ensure a nonjudgmental approach.

Personal Development

I enjoy working with my clients in a solutions-oriented manner to help them achieve their personal short- and long-term goals. These can range from creating healthier lifestyle habits, a career focus, improving relationships, or even organizational goals. My clients will often see short-term progress in the first 1-2 months as it is a collaborative process and the majority of the work occurs between sessions as motivation builds.

Payments & Forms

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

Irvine (Online) – Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday & Friday

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals, couples, and groups looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the initial session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT), some insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Individual Form Couple Form

Testimonial

Focus Areas

ADHD
Anger Management
Anxiety
Autism
Bipolar Disorder
Chemical Dependency
Coaching
Counseling for Children
Counseling for Teens
Couples Counseling
Codependency
Depression
Eating Disorders
Family Counseling
Grief and Loss
Group Counseling
Individual Counseling
Infidelity and Affairs
Marriage Counseling
OCD
Online Counseling
Personal Development
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Professional Development
Psychiatric Care Services
Relationship Issues
Sex and Porn Addiction
Sexual Abuse
Spiritual Development
Trauma

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Articles are intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice; the Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All opinions expressed by authors and quoted sources are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, publishers or editorial boards of San Diego Christian Counseling. This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.