Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Manes.
Hi Vanessa, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Growing up, I loved Ryan Seacrest and Oprah. I would listen to KIIS FM on the way to school and then rush home to watch Oprah at 3pm. For a long time, I thought I wanted to be a talk show host because I loved stories, connection, and understanding people. So naturally, I started college as a Communication and Journalism major.
During that time, I realized something was missing. I enjoyed hearing people’s stories more than reporting them. My academic advisor suggested I look into becoming a therapist because it seemed what truly interested me was understanding why people do what they do. That conversation changed everything.
Now, I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, business owner, adjunct professor, Mental Wellness Manager at a foster youth organization and a clinical supervisor. I genuinely love what I do. Being trusted with people’s stories and walking alongside them through healing, growth, and self-discovery is one of the greatest privileges of my life. I’ve always believed I’m doing exactly what I’m meant to be doing.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Like many therapists, the road wasn’t always easy. Becoming an LMFT requires years of schooling, collecting clinical hours, and often working low-paying or unpaid positions along the way. There were definitely sacrifices.
What made it easier was that I loved the work so much that it rarely felt like “just a job.” The harder lessons came later, learning how to balance caring deeply for others while also caring for myself. As a trauma therapist, boundaries and self-care aren’t optional; they’re necessary. I had to learn how to leave work at work, protect my own nervous system, and still have enough energy left over for my relationships, family, and personal life.
I think this field constantly asks you to grow alongside your clients, and in many ways, that has been one of the greatest gifts and challenges.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Strong Sense of Self Counseling began in Yorba Linda, California, and moved with me when I relocated to San Diego in 2023. Many of my Orange County clients continued with me through telehealth, while I’ve continued building my practice here in San Diego. I currently practice out of a cozy Victorian home in Golden Hill within walking distance of coffee shops, which feels very aligned with how I believe therapy spaces should feel: warm, approachable, and human.
I specialize in anxiety, trauma, attachment wounds, and relationship patterns using EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), attachment theory, and somatic approaches. I’m also currently developing a workbook focused on helping individuals move from trauma responses back toward their authentic selves.
My philosophy is simple: trauma often disconnects us from ourselves. It lives in our bodies, shapes our relationships, and influences how we respond to the world. My goal is to help clients become less reactive and more intentional in how they live their lives. One question I often ask clients is: What choices might be different if fear wasn’t in the way?
What sets me apart is that authenticity is central to how I show up. I’m direct, compassionate, and collaborative. I want therapy to feel less like someone talking at you and more like two people working together to understand your story and create change. I primarily work with adults ages 18–35 and help them reconnect with who they are underneath anxiety, trauma, and survival mode.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Over the next 5–10 years, I hope mental healthcare becomes more collaborative, holistic, and community-centered. My dream is to create a trauma center that integrates therapy, yoga, acupuncture, movement, and holistic healing modalities all under one roof, with a coffee shop in the middle to create warmth and reduce stigma around mental health. Healing doesn’t happen in isolation, and I would love to create a space where clinicians and healers work together to support the whole person: mind, body, and spirit. And yes…I’m open to meeting investors 😉
Pricing:
- Indivdual sessions are $185
- Couples $200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.strongsenseofselfcounseling.com
- Instagram: @itsvanessamanes
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vanessa-manes-m-a-lmft-38251b5b
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/vanessa-manes-lmft-strong-sense-of-self-san-diego
