Vanessa Nieves is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Old Town Psychology working with adults, couples, and families. She specializes in relationships, anxiety, ADHD, and life transitions, using EFT, Narrative Therapy, and attachment theory to create a warm, collaborative, affirming space.

Get to Know Vanessa

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist at Old Town Psychology, where I work with adults, couples, and families. I provide individual therapy, couples counseling, and family therapy. Many of the people I see are navigating relationship challenges, anxiety, parenting stress, or life transitions — or simply feel disconnected, depleted, or stuck and want to feel more grounded, connected, and like themselves again.

My work is rooted in empathy, collaboration, and empowerment, and I believe healing begins when we feel truly seen, understood, and emotionally safe. I specialize in relationship and communication challenges, anxiety and overwhelm, emotional regulation, ADHD and executive functioning, codependency and self-doubt, parenting stress, and career and life transitions. Whether you come on your own, with a partner, or as a family, my goal is to help you move beyond the patterns that keep you stuck and toward meaningful, lasting change.

With couples, I help partners recognize and interrupt the cycles that create distance and conflict, building toward more open communication, renewed trust, and deeper emotional intimacy. With individuals, I offer a compassionate, nonjudgmental space to explore emotional patterns, self-limiting beliefs, and everyday stressors, and to reconnect with your values and sense of self. With families, I help members understand one another’s needs and communication styles, cultivating emotional safety and stronger bonds at home.

My approach is holistic and evidence-based. I draw from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Narrative Therapy, attachment theory, and systemic family therapy to understand the experiences, relationships, and internal stories that shape who we are. I see therapy not only as a place to manage emotions, but to transform them — so you leave with the tools, insight, and confidence to navigate life with greater clarity and self-compassion.

I earned my Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Old Dominion University and my Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy from Capella University’s COAMFTE-accredited program. My clinical experience is wide-ranging: I began my career working with children diagnosed with autism and gained early training in psychological testing and assessment, later working with expectant and postpartum mothers, high-conflict family systems and at-risk youth, and finally in private practice, where I have focused on couples and individuals.

Before becoming a therapist, I was a professional dancer and teacher — an experience that deepened my appreciation for emotional expression, storytelling, and the connection between mind and body, and that continues to inform how I understand the way emotion lives within us. As a military spouse and mother, I also bring a personal understanding of resilience, adaptability, and the strain that change and transition can place on relationships and families. I am LGBTQIA+ allied, culturally humble, and deeply committed to creating an inclusive, affirming, and respectful space where every client feels welcome and supported.