About
Dr. Vanessa Porto Caskey, Psy.D
I am a clinical psychologist well-versed in many traditional clinical techniques, ranging from psychodynamic, to cognitive behavioral therapy. In addition, I offer holistic practices with a focus on psychological healing for those inclined.
Throughout my life, I have been personally curious and invested in self-growth, understanding how to deal with my mind and psyche, exploring my inner world, and healing. My curiosity about the human mind, psyche, and how to overcome psychological suffering led me to study and practice Eastern spiritual philosophies such as Zen Buddhism and Yoga. My thinking about how to achieve relief from psychological pain widened to see value in holistic approaches in my own journey.
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In my clinical work I draw from my personal experience, my twenty-one years of counseling experience (which predate my doctorate), and from the breadth of knowledge of clinical psychology I grew to acquire. I believe that the wider and deeper my knowledge of human nature, the better I am as a psychotherapist and healer. I continue to learn and grow with my patients.
As a therapist, I am committed to providing a safe and compassionate space that facilitates the development of a creative and deep psychological healing process. I try to be attuned to my patients. I aim to encourage deep self-understanding, self-awareness, the identification and incorporation of coping strategies for symptom relief, and the achievement of desired changes to manifest one’s best life.
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I tailor my approach to meet each patient’s needs in a collaborative process filled with compassion. I have extensive experience providing psychotherapy to adolescents and adults from diverse backgrounds struggling with a wide range of psychological difficulties. I know deep suffering and how to help others move beyond it.
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I am half-Brazilian and half-American, raised in Brazil until college when I moved to the US. The complexities of being bicultural and bilingual compelled me to be curious about both the universal and individual forces that we all deal with in society. I began to develop a particular awareness of being in the position of the “other,” which continues to help offer sensitive treatment to those from various cultures, races, genders, religions, and belief systems.
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I offer treatment in both English and Portuguese.
How I came to an Integrative Approach
I was fortunate to attend a graduate program that taught psychodynamic, DBT and CBT practices. While many students picked one or the other to specialize in, I saw the value in all of them. That's when my integrative thinking began. It continued in my private practice and I began to refine a method of integrating techniques according to each individual's needs in different stages of treatment. I incorporate my breadth of knowledge into my practice according to each patient’s unique needs in a collaborative process.
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The further integration of holistic practices was initiated by forms of healing I personally sought and had positive experiences with. Many holistic techniques, such as breath work and meditation, are by now integrated into various forms of psychotherapy, and I offer them as well to patients who are interested. The ones who were interested and chose to continue to introduce holistic techniques I found developed more coping tools and had an overall rate of healing that was significantly faster (some by 2 years and some cases by 5 years compared to traditional psychotherapy alone). Still, my principal method for addressing psychological problems is through the integration of the traditional methods of psychotherapy.
I found that I could add energy healing and reiki in positive ways for some patients. I believe I have found ways to integrate psychotherapy with psychological energy healing without interfering with the psychotherapy itself, but rather enhancing it. I have continuously witnessed wonderful results from this integration, and I call it the Integrative Approach. I do not incorporate religion into my practice. Still, I am a Yogi and a spiritual student and provide treatments that include this dimension for those for whom this is integral and important.
I feel very grateful to be able to do what I love and to witness positive results in the people with whom I work.