Here for the Ones Who Make It Look Easy but Are Carrying Too Much
Hi, I’m Vanessa.
How I Work
I listen for more than what happened. I pay attention to what may be underneath it: the patterns you repeat, the expectations you’ve carried, the things you minimize, and sometimes the truth you haven’t quite given yourself permission to say out loud.
That means we won’t only talk about what happened. We’ll pay attention to what it’s doing to you now: in your thoughts, relationships, decisions, emotions, body, boundaries, and the way you see yourself.
Honoring the Whole Person
I also believe good therapy should honor the whole person.
Your culture matters. Your experiences matter. Your values matter.
I’m not interested in helping you become a polished version of someone else. I want to help you uncover what’s true, heal what’s hurting, strengthen what’s already within you, and make room for who you’re becoming.
And if faith is important to you, there is room for that here too. For clients who desire it, biblical principles can be thoughtfully integrated alongside evidence-based therapy.
I’ll Ask Questions That Make You Think
I’m warm, but I’m also engaged. I’ll ask questions that make you think.
I’ll point out patterns when I notice them, gently challenge the thoughts that may be keeping you stuck, and tell you when it seems like we’re talking around something instead of working through it.
Therapy with me isn’t about judgment or telling you what to do. It’s about creating enough safety to be honest, and enough movement to actually change.
Conversations With Purpose
Our sessions feel like conversations with purpose.
Some weeks, that may mean unpacking something that happened at work, in your marriage, with family, or within yourself. Other weeks, we may recognize that today’s reaction is connected to something much older.
We’ll pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and even how stress shows up in your body, not because every experience needs to be analyzed, but because patterns tend to leave clues.
We Laugh in Therapy Too
And yes, we laugh in therapy too. Some sessions are heavy, some are reflective, and sometimes we find ourselves laughing right in the middle of it all. I believe there’s room for both.
You don’t have to perform, speak perfectly, or be serious for 53 minutes straight. Sometimes a good laugh, a moment of honesty, or simply being able to say, “Okay, this is ridiculous,” is part of feeling safe enough to do the deeper work.
I also want you to get comfortable. Bring your coffee, make your tea, grab your water, settle into your favorite chair. This isn’t a space where you have to worry about doing therapy “the right way.”
Where the Work Becomes Practical
And insight is important, but I don’t want therapy to stop there.
You can understand exactly why you overthink and still wake up overthinking tomorrow. You can know where your anxiety comes from and still not know what to do when it shows up on a random Thursday evening.
That’s where the work becomes practical.
We’ll take what we’re uncovering in the therapy room and turn it into something you can actually use outside of it: new ways of thinking, responding, communicating, setting boundaries, regulating emotions, and making decisions.
If Faith Is Important to You
And if faith is important to you, it doesn’t have to be left at the door. For clients who desire it, I can thoughtfully integrate biblical principles into our work alongside evidence-based therapy.
That may mean exploring how your faith speaks to identity, purpose, relationships, forgiveness, boundaries, or the season you’re navigating. There is also room for the hard questions: for wrestling, uncertainty, disappointment, or simply trying to understand where God fits into what you’re experiencing.
You don’t have to choose between honoring your faith and taking your mental health seriously.
I Want to Help You Live Differently
Ultimately, I don’t want you simply becoming better at explaining what’s keeping you feeling like life is unmanageable. I want the work we do together to help you live differently.
Release what isn’t serving you. Refine what needs attention. Rise with greater clarity, confidence, and purpose.
About Vanessa Herrera, MSEd, LMHC-D
I am Vanessa Herrera, MSEd, LMHC-D, and Clinical Supervisor. I am a NYC psychotherapist and Founder of Jubilee Gold Coaching offering services via telehealth.
With nearly two decades of experience (eight years advocating for survivors of domestic violence and ten years as a Bilingual School Counselor in New York City and Florida), I bring both clinical training and real-world understanding to every session.
I am licensed in New York. I provide individual therapy for adults throughout New York State via telehealth, specializing in Black, Caribbean, Latina/Hispanic, Native and other culturally diverse clients, women navigating motherhood and changing identity, anxiety, ADHD, burnout, depression, people-pleasing, perfectionism, relationship issues, imposter syndrome and life transitions.
I also work with men who connect with this experience, particularly professionals and high-achieving men experiencing anxiety, pressure, relationship stress, burnout, or difficulty adjusting to major changes.
I’ve Seen Struggle in Many Forms
I’ve seen struggle in many forms. I’ve helped mothers and children escaping domestic violence find safety in shelters, and I’ve sat across from finance executives navigating microaggressions and imposter syndrome.
I’ve worked with burned-out nurses, overwhelmed entrepreneurs, first-generation professionals carrying the weight of expectation, and individuals navigating life alongside high-profile, highly successful spouses.
What I’ve learned is that pain doesn’t have a look, and neither does the person who needs support. Sometimes the person carrying the most is the one everyone thinks is doing just fine.
A Little More About Me
I’m a Brooklyn girl with Hispanic-Caribbean roots, a God-first woman, and a clinician who has learned to move comfortably between many different spaces. I understand NYC culture, but I also understand the boardroom, professional environments, higher education, and the expectations that often come with being accomplished in spaces where you may not always feel fully seen.
I know what it means to code-switch: to know how to speak the language of the room while still trying to hold on to your own. That perspective allows me to connect with clients across cultures and circumstances, whether we’re talking about family expectations over a cup of coffee, navigating microaggressions in corporate America, or unpacking the pressure that comes with success.
Down-to-Earth, but Clinically Grounded
My style is down-to-earth, but clinically grounded and intellectually curious. I value education, thoughtful conversation, evidence-based practice, and understanding the why behind the patterns we uncover.
At the same time, I don’t believe expertise requires therapy to feel stiff or overly formal.
We can have a sophisticated conversation and still laugh. We can talk research and real life. There is room for both.
My Faith
My faith is also central to who I am. Proverbs 21:2 (KJV) says:
“Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.”
That verse reminds me that there’s often more beneath what we initially see. For clients who desire it, biblical principles can be thoughtfully integrated alongside evidence-based therapy.
Vanessa HerreraMSEd, LMHC-D
The Sis You Can Count On
Think of me as the sis you can count on, with the clinical training to know when listening is enough, when it’s time to dig deeper, and when it’s time to challenge you.
You don’t have to choose between a therapist who understands where you’re coming from and one who can help you get where you’re trying to go.
Call me at (917) 226-7713, or schedule your free 15-minute consultation below.
Become More of Who You Were Created to Be
You don't have to have it all figured out before you begin. We'll work toward the greater, healthier, more grounded version of you, together.
This space is for you.
Call me at (917) 226-7713, or schedule your 15-minute consultation below, and let's see if we're a good fit.