Vanessa Pate Counseling
Holistic therapy for children, teens, adults, and families — helping you feel calmer in your body, clearer in your mind, and more connected in your life.
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About Me
Glad you’re here.
I’m Vanessa Pate, MA, LPC a bilingual (English/Spanish) Licensed Professional Counselor, a mother of three, and someone who truly loves the work I do. I am deeply passionate about helping women reconnect with themselves, find balance, and feel more grounded and confident in their lives.
I earned my Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Houston in 2008 and my Master’s degree in Counseling from the University of Houston-Clear Lake in 2012. I am trained in Brainspotting and Play Therapy, and my work integrates trauma-informed methods, somatic nervous system regulation, inner child work, and evidence-based therapeutic skills.
Many of the women I work with feel overwhelmed, emotionally exhausted, or disconnected from who they are, often while holding many roles for others. In therapy, I create space for you, your identity, your emotional well-being, your needs, and your healing. Together, we focus on compassion, self-care, and building a life that feels more aligned and sustainable.
I strive to create a space that feels safe, warm, and non-judgmental, where you can show up exactly as you are. My work is grounded in understanding the whole person — your thoughts, your body, your relationships, and the deeper meaning that guides your life.
I work with women, individuals, teens, children, and families navigating:
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anxiety and stress
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trauma and PTSD
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ADHD (children and adults)
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depression
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self-esteem and identity concerns
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life transitions
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relationship and communication struggles
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grief and loss
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parenting challenges
I believe therapy works best as a collaborative relationship. Together, we gently explore what may be keeping you stuck and build tools that support greater calm, confidence, and connection. You don’t have to do this alone. I’m honored to walk alongside you.
Common concerns addressed:
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Anxiety
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ADHD (children & adults)
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Behavioral issues
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Parenting support
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Coping skills
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Trauma & PTSD
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Depression
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Stress
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Self-esteem
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Life transitions
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Relationship challenges
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Grief & loss
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Women’s issues
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…and more.
Brené Brown
"What makes you vulnerable makes you beautiful"
Individual Therapy
People seek therapy for many reasons, and I work with adults facing a wide range of challenges, including:
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trauma and PTSD
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anxiety and depression
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low self-esteem
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parenting stress
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relationship conflict
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life transitions
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grief
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stress management
In individual therapy, I see the whole person — mind, body, relationships, and overall wellbeing. We explore not just thoughts and emotions, but also physical health, sleep, and other lifestyle factors that affect how you feel and function. Therapy is a space to uncover patterns, beliefs, and challenges while cultivating balance, resilience, and self-compassion.
Together, we view difficulties not as setbacks, but as opportunities for courage, growth, and authentic living. I provide practical tools and strategies you can apply in your daily life to enhance your health, relationships, and sense of self.
My approach is eclectic and tailored to you. Every session is collaborative, grounded in curiosity, compassion, and a commitment to supporting your whole-person wellbeing as you move toward the life you want to live.
Play Therapy (3-8)
Play Therapy is a gentle, child-centered approach designed to help children ages 3 to 8 explore their feelings, process challenges, and express themselves in a safe and supportive environment. Through play, children can work through emotions, build coping skills, and develop healthier ways of communicating and problem-solving.
I am trained in both non-directive and directive play therapy. In non-directive sessions, the child leads the play, allowing natural themes and struggles to emerge. Directive approaches provide more guidance when needed to support growth and learning.
Therapy typically takes place in a welcoming playroom, and I use a variety of expressive tools, including play, sand tray, and music, to help children process emotions and build resilience. I also work closely with parents, offering strategies and practical tools to strengthen connection and support their child’s growth at home.
Teen and Adolescent Support
Teens today face many pressures — school, friendships, family expectations, and figuring out who they are. I love meeting teens where they are, helping them explore their identity, manage stress, and start to find themselves.
I work with teens to navigate challenges like anxiety, depression, ADHD, stress, self-esteem, and relationship struggles. Therapy provides a safe, judgment-free space to explore emotions, identity, and coping skills. I use a mix of evidence-based approaches, including CBT, somatic techniques, and creative tools, helping teens build confidence, resilience, and healthy self-expression.
I also work closely with parents, offering guidance and strategies to navigate these challenging years and strengthen family connections.
Anxiety and Stress
Anxiety can feel overwhelming, exhausting, and isolating — but it doesn’t have to control your life. In therapy, I take a whole-person approach, addressing both the mind and body. Using somatic techniques and nervous system regulation, we help your body feel safe again while exploring the thoughts and patterns that fuel anxiety.
You will learn practical tools and coping strategies to calm your nervous system, manage worry, and feel more grounded in daily life. Therapy is a space to reconnect with yourself, strengthen resilience, and build a sense of safety from the inside out.
Inner Child Healing
In my practice, I incorporate inner child work as a powerful and transformative part of the healing process. Inner child work involves gently exploring the early emotional experiences and unmet needs from childhood that may still influence how we think, feel, and relate to others today.
Many of us carry old wounds, feelings of abandonment, fear, rejection, or shame-from when we were younger. These experiences can shape how we respond to relationships, manage emotions, and see ourselves. Through inner child work, we create a safe space to acknowledge those past hurts, offer compassion to the younger parts of ourselves, and begin to reframe old narratives.
This work often involves:
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Identifying core emotional wounds from childhood
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Understanding behavioral patterns that originated in early experiences
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Reconnecting with the playful, creative, and authentic self
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Developing self-compassion and emotional regulation
By giving your inner child the attention, validation, and care they may not have received, you can begin to heal long-standing patterns, reduce emotional reactivity, and feel more grounded and whole in the present.
Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, low self-worth, relationship challenges, or simply feeling stuck, inner child work can be a deeply healing part of the journey. Together, we’ll work at a pace that feels safe and supportive as we explore your inner world with curiosity and care.
ADHD is not a flaw — it’s a different way of thinking, feeling, and experiencing the world. I work with children, teens, and adults to better understand how their brains are wired, helping them harness their unique strengths while building skills for focus, emotional regulation, and confidence.For children, therapy often focuses on self-esteem, emotional regulation, and impulse control, while supporting caregivers with practical tools and strategies to help children thrive at home and school. For adults, we work on managing overwhelm, creating routines that fit their life, reducing shame, and recognizing the creativity, energy, and problem-solving strengths that come with ADHD.Across all ages, my approach integrates nervous system regulation, somatic tools, and practical strategies designed to work with the ADHD brain, not against it. The goal is to help you or your child feel empowered, confident, and capable of living fully and embracing your unique gifts.
Brainspotting
"Where you look affects how you feel," David Grand
WHAT IS BRAINSPOTTING?
Brainspotting is a treatment method that works by identifying, processing, and releasing brain/body sources of emotional/body pain, trauma, dissociation, and a variety of other challenging symptoms to bring about more healing and wellness. Brainspotting is able to access the deeper parts of our subcortical brain, along with the nervous symptom, to clear some of the emotional energy of experiences that keep us stuck. Whether it’s a traumatic past experience, painful negative emotions, or even physical pain or sensations caused by something psychological, brainspotting can help you overcome it.
WHAT IS A BRAINSPOTTING SESSION LIKE?
A brainspotting session is always collaborative. Once you’ve identified a thought, feeling, or behavior that you want to focus on, you’ll work together with your therapist to find a brainspot that creates some activation. The therapist will also be looking for reflexive cues that you may not even be aware of; this could be rapid blinking, swallowing, a tightening of the jaw, or change in breathing. Every client's experience is different.
Once the brainspot is located, you’ll be encouraged to notice what's happening in your mind and body. Some clients process this out loud and some are silent. Clients have reported quick links of other memories, experiencing body sensations, imagery, or changes in emotional state. Experiencing some mental or physical discomfort can be normal during this process as we need to “feel it to heal it.” The therapist stays attuned to your emotional state and will help guide you through this. Most clients report a lower activation level at the end of a session, but some need multiple sessions to “clear” a concern.
One thing that clients might notice is different with a brainspotting session is that the therapist is less likely to be directive or to point out any observed connections in what the client is reporting. In this way, the client’s brain is better able to make the necessary connections and insight with minimal interference. At the end of the processing, the therapist will leave time to debrief the session and discuss ways to support you between sessions.
WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM BRAINSPOTTING?
Brainspotting is for anyone that feels “stuck” on a concern; for those that “just can’t get over it.” Brainspotting can be used for almost any concern you would bring to counseling, from a traumatic event to concerns around finances. The following list are some examples of concerns that brainspotting can help with:
All forms of trauma or emotionally charged experiences
Anxiety
Anger management
Grief
Depression
Relationship concerns
Shame
Impulse control issues
Performance issues
Brainspotting can be a nice addition to traditional talk therapy or can stand on its own. If you are interested in seeing if Brainspotting could be helpful for you, please send me a message.
Payment Methods
Insurance
Vanessa Pate Counseling does not take insurance, but can provide you with a superbill that you can file with your insurance company for reimbursement should you choose. Insurance companies require a diagnosis in order to reimburse services.
You and/or your child's treatment information and diagnosis are accessible by your insurance company if claims are filled. They have the right to review any information pertinent to your treatment plan in order to determine reimbursement. You have the right to choose not to involve the insurance company in treatment.
Private Pay
To pay for counseling, you are solely responsible for the entire fee. For some families, this is the preferred method of payment. It allows families to retain control of the privacy of their mental health information. Payment is due at the time of each session unless otherwise discussed. Cash and all major credit cards are accepted.
Counseling Fees
Cost per Session for individual sessions $155
Couples Counseling: $180
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call (800) 985-3059.
Contact Me
719 Sawdust Rd, Suite 104
The Woodlands , Texas 77381
USA
713-376-0427