Hey, I’m Vanessa!
(she/her/ella)
First Generation Latina Woman
✳
Woman of Color
✳
Wife
✳
Daughter
✳
Entrepreneur
✳
Leader
✳
Visionary
✳
Community Builder
✳
Gemini
First Generation Latina Woman ✳ Woman of Color ✳ Wife ✳ Daughter ✳ Entrepreneur ✳ Leader ✳ Visionary ✳ Community Builder ✳ Gemini
And I am thrilled you are here.
If we aren’t yet acquainted, something you’ll come to learn real quick about me is that everything I do is rooted in purpose, my “why.” It feels only fitting that I should start there when I tell you my story.
Like so many of us, my childhood experiences had a great impact on who I am today and why I choose to do what I do. Growing up in a single-parent household with a mom who worked her ass off to provide a roof over our heads and food for my sisters and me was where I first learned my worth ethic. Nothing was handed to me. We got by with very little and a whole lotta love.
The only constants I had were my mother’s love for me, her unyielding support, and her neverending belief that I could do anything I wanted if I worked hard enough. She instilled that into me, and it is what kept me going for many years.
My mother is a survivor of trauma, so as I grew up I knew that I wanted to create a life for myself that provided safety and security while grounded in love so I could take care of her the way she took care of us. The only way I knew how to do that was to stay focused and work hard. And that’s what I did.
While my mother is the foundation and the reason I got here, my children are the vision for my future and the reason I keep going. I hope my children grow up not only watching me work hard doing something I love but also seeing me enjoying life. I want them to witness and fully understand that possibilities are endless if you work hard and…
you don’t have to be a martyr to your work.
My wish is the same for you, too.
I’m interested in exploring a blend of supposed opposites to create a new reality. One in which
You define the structure of your business based on the life you want to live
You allow your values to lead the way and are also compensated handsomely
You are reminded there is strength in community and you are never alone
This is at the heart of everything we do here at Brave & Well.
The truth of it is… there’s a mental health crisis happening in our world.
Everyone needs support and there are not enough therapists to provide it.
Even more alarming, the number of therapists of color that exist is radically low in comparison to our white counterparts.
Why is that?
There is a persistent lack of resources and lack of representation in educational programs and institutions for POC therapists. Additionally, there are barriers to entry that simply don’t exist for white folx.
So, the bottom line is that—we are needed.
There are not a lot of spaces for people of color to get business advice from other people of color. It’s extremely rare to find, and I hope that because of the identities I hold, it allows you to feel safer to show up as yourself, in your beautiful fullness, and lean into your story. Because it is there—at the center of your truest self, standing at that incredible intersection of all the multiplicities that you hold—where you will unleash your power to take the next step.
Brave & Well was born from this place, from this desire to support other therapists of color in decolonizing mental health. What started out as a passion project is now beautifully growing into more of my full-time focus, and it excites me beyond belief to be living this vision and this life that I intentionally built for myself.
And the best part about it—this can be your reality, too.
Because here’s what I do know…
Building a business is not something you do once. It’s an ever-evolving process.
You start, then you learn, evolve, and grow. You are constantly pivoting and adjusting to match the flow of your work and who you are and what your life is asking of you at any given moment.
Over the course of Brave & Well’s existence, I have changed. My business has changed. My life has changed. So much of that informs our work and how we present ourselves to others.
I won’t sugarcoat it. Being a business owner is not cut out for everyone. But for those who decide that this is what they want, this work can be fun and exciting! However, it will require you to be honest with yourself about the season you’re in and where you are headed every step of the way.
