Couples therapists in Salem, OR

I have served aging people since I began working, the last 20+ years as a psychologist. Now, having aged into the group, I understand what it is to live with issues of aging, including the family, health and career / retirement issues that go along with that both personally and professionally. I am here to help others write their personalized how-to manual for a happier second half of life.

Hello! I'm glad you're here. I am a licensed therapist in Oregon, with 20 years of experience helping people of all ages recognize their own internal strengths in order to achieve the happiness, peace and potential that we all deserve in a kind, direct and thoughtful way. As a counselor, I operate from a humanistic point of view; acknowledging the benefit of self-acceptance and the importance of free-will as paramount. I will see the good and powerful in you, and help you see it too.

As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I believe every person deserves to be heard, understood, and treated as more than a diagnosis. I take the time to understand the whole person, considering the biological, psychological, social, and lifestyle factors that influence mental health. I provide compassionate, evidence-based care for children, adolescents, adults, and older adults, creating personalized treatment plans that support lasting wellness. My goal is to help you feel supported, empowered, and confident throughout your mental health journey.

Life’s challenges can feel overwhelming at any stage—whether you’re navigating adolescence, adulthood, relationships, parenting, or the transitions that come with aging. Anxiety, depression, grief, and life changes can disrupt how you think, feel, and connect with others. Therapy offers a supportive place to slow down, feel understood, and develop effective tools to move forward with greater clarity, balance, and confidence.

Life doesn’t come with a roadmap—and when stress, anxiety, grief, or major changes pile up, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed or alone. Therapy offers a place to slow down, feel understood, and begin finding your way forward with clarity and confidence.

I provide a compassionate, supportive space where you can explore what’s holding you back, build resilience, and reconnect with your inner strength. Together, we’ll work toward meaningful change so you can feel more confident, grounded, and at peace.

Who I Work With

I work with individuals across the lifespan, including:

• Teenagers and young adults
• Adults experiencing anxiety, depression, or life transitions
• Women and single mothers
• Men facing male-specific challenges
• Older adults navigating aging-related concerns

I also work with couples, parents, and business partners, helping strengthen communication, emotional understanding, and connection.

Extensive background and highly skilled in working with individuals who have experienced trauma, anxiety, depression. Expertise in family systems, generational trauma and its impact, healing attachment disruptions, healing shame, trauma-informed, and interpersonal trauma recovery.

Hi! I’m Vanessa! I’m a wife, Mom and entrepreneur. I’m also a psychiatric nurse practitioner specializing in integrative psychiatry and women’s mental health. I run a niche mental health clinic called Kavah Wellness Psychiatry. I hold a bachelors degree, two masters degree and a doctor of nursing practice degree. I have almost a decade of experience in the mental health sector. I love everything mental health!

I have a world class education, but there is more to me than that: There have been many iterations of "Alan" over the long years of my life. There is the drug addict that has walked the clean and sober path for 33 years. There is the truck driver and the tattoo artist, the husband (married 31 years), the father, the grandfather, the great grandfather, the foster father, the step-father. There is the Buddhist and the philosopher. I am reaching out to you. There is nothing you can tell me that will offend me.

And I can write a darned good introduction too! LOL!

I hope to meet you soon!

“Like a lotus flower, we too have the ability to rise from the mud, blossom out of the darkness, and radiate into the world.” I believe meaningful therapy begins with a space where you feel safe enough to show up as your full, authentic self. I work with adults, and some of the areas I have experience with include trauma, anxiety, depression, grief, relationships, and life transitions, among others. I offer LGBTQIA2S+ affirming care and warmly welcome clients exploring body image, sexuality, ethical non monogamy, polyamory, and other parts of authentic self expression.