Meet the Team
My Story
Vanessa Banks, LCSW-C
Online only (due to Covid) in Bethesda, MD and online across Maryland, Virginia, DC.
Hi, I’m Vanessa J. Banks. I’m a Licensed Certified Social Worker-Clinical and Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who works with adults who have ongoing challenges with depression and anxiety. My goal is to help you stop feeling overwhelmed and depressed and start encouraging you to see healing and transformation.
My Journey To Becoming a Counselor
I’m no different from the clients I see. Like everyone else, I’m human. I’ve been through both wonderful and difficult experiences that have shaped who I am and how I help. With the birth of my son, I came across three different social workers in 2010- my intro to social work professor, an adoption social worker, and a hospital social worker. In 2010, I learned how impactful and transformational just listening really was to a person who felt alone in a world full of many. As I held my son, I vowed to myself to always be the person who listens throughout one’s journey.
My life experiences are what lead me to become the therapist I am today. Helping people is what I look forward to every day.
Being a therapist is an honor to me. I love coming together with people to help them move towards experiencing an authentic, free existence and watching them transform their lives.
I also love joining people on their journey to become healthier and more empowered and witnessing them achieve more fulfilling lives.
I am committed to encouraging you to see transformation, healing, and hope when you feel hopeless. I have compassion for people and bring heart and warmth to sessions.
I have a natural ability to:
- Understand people’s experiences
- Help people identify what they are feeling
- Accept people for who they are and in their current life circumstances
- Help clients heal their past and manage the present
People who know me often say that I am a good listener who can be fully present for people’s stories, even if they are difficult.
Our Sessions Are Focused On You
In our sessions I will provide you with the space to be yourself. In feeling safe and comfortable, you’ll be able to explore your thoughts, emotions, and goals and feel what you need to feel.
It’s important to me to provide a non-judgemental space where you can be yourself and create safety within a session. There isn’t a “one size fits all” approach to therapy, so our sessions will fit your specific needs and concerns.
As A Clinical Director, I Embrace The Following Philosophies
- I believe that you are worthy of love and care
- I believe that we only heal if we take care of ourselves
- I believe that therapy should address the person as a whole – their mind, body, and spirit
- I believe that even if we feel like we’ve lost hope, it’s possible to show up, commit to ourselves, and do what it takes to start feeling better
Educational Background
For almost ten years, I have worked fiercely to support and engage marginalized persons and communities; while affirming theirs stories, and existence within and against systems.
I obtained a Bachelors of Social Work in Social Work at Coppin State University. Afterwards, I obtained my Masters in Social Work from “the Mecca,” “the Real HU,” thee Howard University. I hold a license in Social Work for the state of Maryland and Washington, DC.