Vaness Aders, AMFT

Registered Associate MFT under supervision by Lena Axelsson LMFT #47915

Vanessa welcomes you into a space where you can be fully yourself, notice what is present, and meet what is emerging with greater compassion and acceptance. Her style is warm, relational, and grounded in the body, allowing space for both depth and lightness. Vanessa's work is shaped by advanced study in somatic and relational approaches, years of supporting individuals, couples, and families through meaningful change, and her own lived experience that deepens her appreciation for complexity, adaptation, and the many ways people find their way back to themselves.

Over the years, Vanessa has been part of many worlds, from teaching yoga and dance and competing in endurance sports, to being a private chef, guiding eco-therapy, and working in corporate strategy. Experiences across cultures and high-performing environments have given her a deep respect for how differently people survive, grow, adapt, and make meaning of their lives. A longstanding meditation practice rooted in Nondual Shaiva Tantra continues to deepen her appreciation for the vulnerability, uncertainty, and courage involved in loosening old patterns and becoming more fully oneself.

In the therapy room, Vanessa is relational, trauma-informed, and experiential. She is curious about how our bodies, relationships, memories, and imagination all shape our experience of being human. Drawing from mindfulness, dreamwork, compassionate inquiry, contemplative arts, and embodiment practices, she welcomes whatever arises, including parts of ourselves that may have been pushed aside, protected, or forgotten. There is no prescribed way to be, only an invitation to notice, allow, and become more curious about what unfolds.

Many of her clients are moving through life transitions, burnout, trauma recovery, or periods of uncertainty about who they have been or who they are becoming. Vanessa brings a heartfelt and nonjudgmental presence to explorations of identity, sexuality, spirituality, and belonging without rushing toward an answer. She welcomes the fullness of each person’s identity, relationships, and way of moving through the world. Her practice is especially welcoming to LGBTQ+, neurodivergent, multicultural, highly sensitive, creative, and curious clients, including those whose ways of living do not fit neatly into conventional expectations.

Outside the office, Vanessa finds fun and inspiration near the ocean, creating upcycled artwork, dancing with her partner, and spending time with animals, especially her cat, Gigi.