About

Currently I am not accepting new clients and I will be taking a leave of absence from the platform for a few months, sorry for any inconvenience. To change counselors, click on the icon in the top right corner of your screen and choose "Change Counselor" from the drop-down menu. From there, our system will rematch you to another counselor based upon your current needs and preferences.



I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself, my name is Vanessa Black and I've been a counselor for the past five years. I have a Masters degree in clinical mental health counseling and about 15 years of experience working in the human services field, I completed my Master’s degree May, 2013 and have since attained additional certifications and or credentialing in Anger Management, Domestic Violence, Sex Offender Treatment, Child and Adolescent Trauma, Clinical Addiction and Distance Counseling, I currently run my own practice called Words of Wisdom located in NC. In my experience I've worked with diverse populations, consisting of children, adolescents, their families, young adults, couples and seniors in a variety of community-based professional and supportive roles. In a relatively short time I have had to adapt to dealing with individuals in almost every transition of life, those leaving home for the first time, those changing careers, those questioning who they are, those who lost loved ones, those who are just lost and those approaching death themselves.
In working with these diverse populations, I have found there is just not one approach that works best. As such I believe it is best to use an integrative approach to treatment which combines different theories and different techniques which varies depending on personality and the particular problems brought forward. A fundamental part of my practice and my professional philosophy states that a particular diagnosis does not define who a person is, nor does it limit their capacity to be effective, lively and to have the highest quality of life. Therapy by its very nature calls for a very active effort and in order for any interventions to be truly effective, you will have to work on things both during sessions and outside of them.
Ultimately therapy involves a large commitment of time and energy, it can often be frustrating or even uncomfortable, yet there are benefits for people who go through it. Therapy often leads to better relationships, solutions to specific problems and significant reductions in feelings of distress, but there are no guarantees. It is important that you and I or any other therapist you choose, work together during the entire process and both agree on a plan and adhere to it, because successful therapy relies on this cooperative and evolving relationship, you should always be careful about the therapist you choose, you must feel free to express your concerns and voice your opinions. If you feel we could work together then I look forward to hearing from you and thank you in advance for allowing me to assist you through this process.