Therapist profile
Dr. Vanessa Prestridge Graf, LMFT
California
LMFT - Relationships and Codependency
Continue with VanessaWhere Vanessa stands
- Credentials
- LMFT
- License
- LMFT, California / 35314; LMFT, Colorado / MFT.0000569
- NPI
- 1982771127
- Experience
- 29 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- California
About
- Cognitive behavioral work
- Mindfulness practice
- Attachment focus
About Vanessa
Dr. Vanessa Prestridge Graf is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 29 years of clinical experience. She works with adults on stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting concerns, self-esteem, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, intimacy issues, eating and sleeping problems, anger, bipolar symptoms, and codependency.
She uses cognitive behavioral ideas to help people spot and change unhelpful thinking. She talks plainly about how early beliefs shape current choices and habits. She also uses mindfulness practices to reduce anxiety and to bring attention back to what is working in life.
Her approach includes psychodynamic thinking about how past experiences and family of origin issues influence present feelings and behavior. Sessions often look at attachment, abandonment, control, and communication patterns that keep someone stuck. The work includes naming those patterns and trying new responses in daily life.
Vanessa emphasizes practical skills as well as reflection. Clients learn ways to reframe negative thoughts, set boundaries, and notice triggers that lead to people-pleasing or losing themselves in relationships. She also helps people facing infertility, blended family challenges, infidelity, guilt and shame, and body image concerns.
Her style mixes direct talk, gentle questioning, and short exercises to practice between sessions. People who want to change long-standing reactions and rebuild a steadier sense of self may find this approach useful.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
CBT focuses on spotting and changing unhelpful thoughts and actions. Online sessions can use this work to set small homework tasks, practise new ways of thinking, and review progress from week to week. Mindfulness therapy brings attention to breathing, bodily sensations, and present-moment noticing to reduce anxiety and depressive rumination; these exercises can be guided in a session and repeated between meetings.Finding the right mix of methods is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss what feels most helpful, adjust methods as needed, and check in about goals and preferences so the plan fits the client rather than the other way around.
Confirm available session formats before booking, as current options are not specified here. Online work can make scheduling easier and help fit therapy into a busy day. It can also allow for shorter check-ins, sessions that do not require video if that is more comfortable, or times that work around work and family commitments. Talk with the therapist when you book to learn which formats she is offering and which will best match practical needs.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
29+ years
Listed in
California, Colorado
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
Can she help with people-pleasing and codependency?
Yes. She uses cognitive behavioral techniques and psychodynamic ideas to identify patterns like people-pleasing and codependent behavior and to try different responses.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She combines clear, practical skills with reflection on past beliefs. Sessions include talk, short exercises, and work to change unhelpful thoughts.
How much experience does she have?
She has 29 years of experience working with adults on issues such as anxiety, depression, trauma, and relationship problems.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is an LMFT licensed in California and holds the CA LMFT and CO LMFT credentials; her practice is based in California.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She accepts international clients. Confirm session logistics and time zones when you schedule.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.