About me

Van Martz
MS, LPC-S
Over 25 yrs experience
in Counseling
I'm an older female counselor. I have a motherly way about me, according to my clients. I have had a very diversified career in science, the military, and in higher education. I'm a veteran, the widowed spouse of a veteran, the mother of a disabled veteran, and the daughter of a WWII veteran who suffered with PTSD. I am a mother, both by birth and adoption, to five children. I have fostered 26 children over 33 yrs. I have also worked for fostercare organizations helping teens adapt to changing circumstances in their placement.
I am a Christian and a pastor, and I also have great respect for all who hold a sincere faith of any kind. I have experienced violence and loss and have a deep empathy for those who have experienced these things. I have done a lot of grief work myself and with my clients. I have remarried and have dealt with blended family issues. My life experience has increased both my empathy and my understanding, and has allowed for my spiritual growth. Humans are often helpless, but never hopeless. I have found that a combination of therapeutic methods works for me and my clients. I use a good deal of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy combined with Grief Resolution Therapy, but I do not limit myself to certain methods and I expand to meet my client's needs. My therapeutic goal is not to force a change on my client, but to enable my client to feel at peace with the choices they make each moment they live on this earth. I also hope to help my clients embrace the joy of living.

Specialties

  • Relationships
  • Family conflicts
  • Trauma, Abuse
  • Grief
  • Coping with life changes
Also experienced in:
Stress, Anxiety , Addictions , Parenting issues , Anger management , Self esteem , Depression , Abandonment , Adoption and Foster Care , Aging and Geriatric Issues , Attachment issues , Autism and Asperger Syndrome , Read more...

Clinical approaches:
Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), Mindfulness Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, Trauma-Focused Therapy

Years of Experience: 28

Services offered


  • Messaging

  • Live Chat

  • Phone

  • Video

Licensing

AL LPC LPC01770

Reviews

These quotes represent just a few of the many positive reviews that we have received for Vanessa Martz. We don't pay anyone to provide their review and they are all made voluntarily. Some people's experience receiving therapy with Teen Counseling might be different.

Written on Oct 21, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 10 months on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, parenting issues, self esteem, career difficulties, coping with life changes, and adhd

Vanessa has been an absolute God Send in so many areas of my life. She has challenged me in unexpected ways & validated some life experiences for me so I can work towards moving past them & even help me sort through some unhealed childhood trauma. I would recommend her to anyone I know. Thank you Van for everything!!

Written on Jun 18, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, and self esteem

very easy to talk with, and she has insight, while being uplifting

Written on Jun 14, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks

She has been great in working with Noah

Written on Jun 11, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, parenting issues, self esteem, anger management, career difficulties, and adhd

I have been very pleased with my experience with Vanessa as my therapist. In just two sessions she has helped me a great deal.

Written on Jun 05, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 months on issues concerning stress, anxiety, and relationship issues

Vanessa is Awesome! She is helping me through a really rough time right now. Job insecurity, a break up, a reconnection with my kids. Take your pick. But she has definitely helped me through it and I’m continuing to make progress

Written on May 19, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, and coping with life changes

Ms Martz was able to provide me with her expert opinion and advise within moments of speaking with her. What my expectation was, from past experiences with about 5 former therapists were that (most often) they sat and listened, rarely saying a word or providing specific feedback. I had sessions in which I thought, this person could be anyone off the street with no credentials as far as I could tell. But that is not the case with Ms Martz. I am excited to benefit from the wealth of knowledge and experience she brings.

Written on May 18, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, intimacy-related issues, anger management, career difficulties, bipolar disorder, and compassion fatigue

Brings knowledge to the table!

Written on May 17, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, relationship issues, family conflicts, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, and parenting issues

She’s great!

Written on May 09, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 3 weeks on issues concerning relationship

I appreciate my therapist for her wisdom. She is amazing!

Written on Apr 21, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, family conflicts, coping with life changes, anger management, and intimacy-related issues

Vanessa immediately identied what my problem was, which was a major relief to me. I was struggling to understand what I have been going through and she pinpointed what it was and helped me understand it better. She also recommended resources to learn more about it. The session was extremely helpful and I felt 100 % better afterwards. I was able to sleep that night. Thank you Vanessa!

Written on Apr 18, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, grief, sleeping disorders, self esteem, coping with life changes, and adhd

I have really enjoyed receiving guidance from Van. She is a caring and intelligent individual.

Written on Mar 23, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, depression, self esteem, family conflicts, and intimacy-related issues

I love Van! She’s very kind but also willing to challenge me in ways I didn’t expect. I truly can tell a big difference in my life since I started working with her

Written on Mar 05, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks

I’ve only had one session with Vanessa but she was great! A great listener and has a lot of wisdom.

Written on Feb 07, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 1 month on issues concerning depression, stress, anxiety, grief, and compassion fatigue

Vanessa shines with years of experience and knowledge. She is easy to connect with, and she is very attentive.

Written on Jan 22, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 months on issues concerning depression, relationship issues, intimacy-related issues, eating disorders, sleeping disorders, self esteem, and adhd

Vanessa is great!!

Written on Jan 22, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 2 weeks on issues concerning stress, anxiety, depression, self esteem, coping with life changes, and trauma and abuse

At first, I was worried to try teencounseling.com. Worried it would be a waste of money, that I wouldn't get the support I needed, that I wouldn't be able to open up to someone via video chat. But Vanessa had all those doubts thrown out the window in the first session. I feel so lucky that teencounseling.com matched us because finding a therapist is not easy!

Written on Jan 10, 2022 after therapy with Vanessa for 3 weeks

I really appreciate all of her support and perspectives. She has been helpful in many ways.

Work with me!