About Vanessa Lopez, LCSW | Psychotherapist in New York
Training and Background
I’ve been a psychotherapist for more than 15 years, but my curiosity about people started much earlier. After studying psychology at McGill University, I earned my Master’s in Social Work at New York University and went on to advanced training at the Manhattan Institute of Psychoanalysis. Over the years I’ve blended this foundation with trauma work, somatic practices, and ongoing training that keeps me learning alongside my clients.
Therapeutic Approach
I believe therapy is a place to be fully seen and heard. My style is warm, grounded, and collaborative. Much of the work involves bringing what has been unconscious into awareness, so you can make new choices and move forward with more clarity. As Carl Jung put it, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”
I draw on trauma-informed and somatic therapies, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for couples. For clients exploring spirituality or plant medicine, I also offer integration work to help bring insights from those experiences into daily life. Our sessions are a space where you can slow down, notice what’s happening inside, and find new ways of relating to yourself and others.
Specialties and Communities I Serve
I work with individuals and couples around:
Healing from trauma and stress held in the body
Building stronger, more connected relationships
Navigating the challenges of coming out or living authentically
Making sense of psychedelic or plant medicine experiences
Much of my work has been with LGBTQ+ clients, people living with HIV, and anyone drawn to deepen their connection to themselves and their relationships.
Living and Practicing in the Hudson Valley
Since 2020 I’ve made my home near the Ashokan Reservoir in the Catskills. Being surrounded by nature has shaped both my life and my practice. The quiet and groundedness I feel here often find their way into the therapy room, whether I’m meeting with clients in person in Stone Ridge or by telehealth anywhere in New York State.