It’s the name COs gave me because I do in fact have a purple therapy couch and it sounds better than admitting they see a therapist. But it’s a pretty chill space for you to feel comfortable to be yourself, to share things you may not feel you can with anyone else. Like Planet Fitness it’s a judgment-free zone and you’ll get more emotionally and mentally fit in the process, hopefully with far less sweat.
Vanessa Lake is the name, fighting against a broken system to meet the needs of my officers is the game.
It’s not a fun game when you’re the pawn and the administration doesn’t follow their own rules. Or they keep changing the rules not in favor of your safety but for political gain, budget cuts, and to avoid potential lawsuits—again not in favor of your mental, emotional, or physical safety. A game where tickets aren’t enforced, and the points don’t matter.
It’s a shitty game of survival with the odds stacked against you but I’ve got some plays of my own to help you get out alive and scream "CHECKMATE BITCHES!!" or simply "I quit."
It’s my goal to help officers stay in the field while managing their stress and trauma so they can do the necessary, often underappreciated, job without losing their mental, emotional, or physical health.
I provide support, resources, and teach helpful skills to prevent burnout...hell, I even wrote a book about it.
I refer to my cats as my fur babies. I know that’s a deal breaker for some of you, others will totally relate.
I am direct, blunt, and action oriented. There is a time and place to simply listen to someone process their emotions but sometimes people need a kick in the butt to get shit done. If you’re not happy with your life, only you have the power to change it. I call my clients out on poor choices while giving guidance and suggestions of tangible action steps they can take.
I love science and refer to the evidence to support the tools and techniques I offer including how nutrition also affects mental and emotional health, and how to use evidence-based energy healing techniques like Reiki and EFT. Physics, (quantum and metaphysics), is real and can be used to your advantage to create a higher vibe life of enjoyment and healing.
I read about 70 books a year and love learning on various topics and sharing that knowledge with others. I also enjoy a good fantasy action novel to get out of my head and let work go.
I am a very spiritual person and open to having deep conversations about your life purpose, religion or spiritual beliefs. My spiritual practices I’m open to share or teach others include: mediumship, accessing the Akashic Records, Tarot or Oracle cards, meditation, connecting to spirit guides and spirit animals, chakra clearing and balancing, using crystals for energy healing and protection, and Reiki.
I'm also known for my professional cat slippers as I believe therapy and my feet should both be comfortable.
Credentials and Experience
Life can take you on some unexpected journeys. But when you’ve been around long enough, you see it all serves a purpose and holds lessons for future experiences you didn’t see coming. At least that’s been my experience.
I went to college to be an accountant. My personal life around my nieces and nephews, I now have 12 and 2 great nephews, led me to switch to early childhood education. I was going to be an elementary school teacher until I job shadowed and nearly lost my mind in a room with 30 needy kids. Mad respect to teachers!
Based on my own experience with trauma and an amazing therapist, I was inspired to be a social worker while still passionate about working with children.
I’ve worked with children and adolescents at:
a CMH based respite home
community mental health in-home program for children and families
a residential home where physical assaults on staff were a daily occurrence
child protective services, CPS
an outpatient partial hospitalization step down program
During that time of constant job changes due to high burnout, I graduated with my master’s in social work from Michigan State University.
After 10 years working with kids, I was introduced to the department of corrections employees and made the decision to work only with people in high trauma jobs. My experience with trauma personally and professionally and working within state systems and dealing with administration inefficiencies, allows me to understand and connect with my clients without their need to fully explain what they’re going through. Sometimes they just don’t have the words.
I opened my own practice because I needed to be my own boss and feel like I have control over my life again rather than the state or systems. And now those accounting classes didn’t seem like a waste of time after all.
I am a licensed clinical social worker. LCSW
I am a certified EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioner.
I am a certified Reiki practitioner.
I am a certified tarot and oracle card reader.
I am an ordained minister.
I am trained in accessing the Akashic Records.