Today we are excited to introduce you to our newest contributor, Vanessa Hernandez. We first connected with Vanessa, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, when she wrote an essay for The Stories We Tell, a weekly column we publish on The Mag. Read more about Vanessa below!

Hi, my name is Vanessa. I’m honored and excited to be part of the MiLOWE community. Not in a million years would I have imagined I would be writing about parenthood topics and ways to help support and guide parents and their little ones through their early years of childhood. Let me introduce myself and what lead me to working with mothers and children. I have been married for 9 years and I am a mom to a 3-year-old boy named Noah. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and have transitioned from providing psychotherapy to now running mommy and me classes, parenting classes, support groups and providing parent coaching.

The transition to motherhood was not an easy one for me because not only did I have to adjust to caring and raising a little human but to managing my own mental health due to trauma from my son’s birth and postpartum depression in the process. If you would like to hear further about my birth and postpartum story you can find it here in The Mag.

After going through a traumatizing birth experience, transitioning to motherhood, experiencing two miscarriages, and falling into postpartum depression, I found myself feeling lonely and sad. While seeking help and looking for support groups, I realized there was a big need for resources and support for parents. I did eventually find mommy and me classes as well as support groups but the drive to get to the locations was about 45 to 60 minutes from my home without traffic. My own personal journey into motherhood lead me to supporting mothers in navigating this season of their lives and help equip them with the knowledge and skills necessary to not just survive what can be a stressful and lonely experience but to thrive and grow in the process!

My professional experience includes working within various in-home, agency, preschool, and therapeutic settings. In the process of becoming a Licensed MFT I provided therapy to children, teens, young adults, parent-child dyadic, and families. This process helped me find a passion for working with parents and young children. What I have discovered through my time in working with children is to not underestimate their ability to learn, the capacity they have for doing things on their own, and their keen insight into what is going on in their environment.

I would say my passion for working with children began as a teenager. From an early age I worked as a babysitter and my jobs in college included working with adolescents as a tutor and student advisor. Once I completed my bachelor’s degree, I was a case manager for adolescent teen parents. As a LMFT, most of my experience has been working with children, young adults, and parents.

Let me know what topics you would like for me to talk about.