About Vanessa Simmons, LPC, SEP (she/her)
Warm, steady, and collaborative care for what you've been carrying.
I'm a trauma therapist offering private, in-person trauma therapy intensives of three to five days in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, for women who hold a lot for others and sense that something hasn't yet shifted.
Who I work with
For the woman who holds a great deal, and is less practiced at being held.
You may be the one others turn to at work, at home, and in every room you walk into. You do it well, and in many ways it has served you.
What it costs is harder to see: the vigilance that never fully turns off, reading the temperature of a room without deciding to, the difficulty receiving care without wondering what's expected in return. You may have explained all of this to a therapist, and explained it well. What you may be looking for now is a different way of working with it.
- Women in caregiving, leadership, and helping professions, including healthcare and corporate leaders
- Women who have done meaningful prior therapy or self-reflection and sense something specific hasn't shifted
- Women curious about EMDR or somatic work who want a well-prepared introduction
- Women traveling from a distance, or whose schedules make weekly therapy hard
While much of my work is with women, I welcome adults of every gender, sexual orientation, and relationship structure. Every part of who you are is welcome here.
My approach
I hold the structure, so you don't have to hold it alone.
I often pair EMDR, which uses bilateral stimulation while you hold aspects of a memory in mind, with Somatic Experiencing, which works with bodily sensation and the body's responses to stress and threat. Together they offer ways of working with experiences that understanding alone hasn't shifted.
Alongside them, I draw on Internal Family Systems, Deep Brain Reorienting, sand tray, and sound, depending on your goals, what emerges in our work, and my clinical judgment about what may be helpful. We work collaboratively, and we can pause, adjust, or change direction as needed.
What I've come to understand
- Being capable and being at peace are two different things, and many people have spent years mastering the first while quietly carrying the distance from the second.
- The patterns hardest to change are usually the ones that formed earliest and made the most sense at the time.
- Insight is real and valuable. Knowing where something comes from doesn't always change how the body responds in the moment, and that's where body-based work can help.
My background
Personal familiarity, alongside clinical training.
I'm a Black woman with a bicultural background, born in the United States and raised in Germany. I bring personal as well as clinical familiarity to work involving racial and collective trauma, ancestral trauma, identity, and belonging.
This can be a particular fit for women in healthcare and corporate leadership, therapists and helping professionals, and women in caregiving roles who are carrying more than their own history alone. What you carry may not have begun with you, and here it can be approached with that understanding.
For therapists and helping professionals
Your own work, held with discretion.
Many of the women I work with are therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Doing personal work outside your professional network, with someone who understands the clinical and relational dynamics involved, is both ethically sound and clinically wise. I'm familiar with vicarious trauma and the particular pressures of the helping professions.
Clinicians seeking consultation can explore EMDR consultation, and referring therapists can visit the referral page.
A note on readiness
Our first conversation is a space to sense together whether this work and this format fit where you are now, and whether working together feels like a good fit. You're welcome to take your time. If something doesn't feel aligned, in either direction, we can talk through what might suit you better.
Verified EMDRIA credentials
Credentials you can verify.
I hold three of EMDRIA's credentials, including Approved Trainer, which means I teach EMDR basic training to other licensed clinicians. Select any badge to view my verified credentials.
You can also view my full EMDRIA credential wallet, and verify my Pennsylvania license through the Pennsylvania Licensing System.
Credentials and training
Degree and licensure
- MS in Clinical Psychology, Millersville University of Pennsylvania
- Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), Pennsylvania
Certifications
- EMDRIA Certified Therapist™
- EMDRIA Approved Consultant™
- EMDRIA Approved Trainer™, EMDR Basic Training
- Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), Somatic Experiencing International
- Registered Play Therapist (RPT), Association for Play Therapy
- Trauma Center Trauma Sensitive Yoga Facilitator
Advanced training
- Deep Brain Reorienting, Levels 1 and 2
- EMDR Sandtray Specialist Intensive Program, AGATE Institute
- Foundational and advanced sand therapy trainings
- Internal Family Systems Therapy, IFS Institute, Level 1
- Interpersonal Neurobiology, Mindsight Institute (36 hours)
- Touch Skills Training for Trauma Therapists, Modules 1 to 3 (Kathy L. Kain, PhD)
- Filial Therapy Intensive Training (Dr. Rise VanFleet)
- Intensive Trauma-Focused Therapy Training, Trauma Institute & Child Trauma Institute
- Trauma-Informed Care, Drexel University College of Medicine (50 hours)
Questions about Vanessa
What people often want to know.
Who is Vanessa Simmons?
I'm Vanessa Simmons, LPC, SEP, a trauma therapist at Meadow Grove Counseling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. I offer private, in-person trauma therapy intensives of three to five days and specialize in developmental and attachment trauma, especially for women in caregiving, helping, and leadership roles.
What are Vanessa's credentials?
I'm a Licensed Professional Counselor in Pennsylvania with an MS in Clinical Psychology from Millersville University. I'm an EMDRIA Certified Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, and EMDRIA Approved Trainer for EMDR basic training, as well as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and Registered Play Therapist (RPT). I'm also trained in Deep Brain Reorienting, Internal Family Systems, and sand tray therapy.
Why does Vanessa combine EMDR and Somatic Experiencing?
They offer different ways of attending to experience. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation while you hold aspects of a memory in mind, and Somatic Experiencing works with bodily sensation and the body's responses to stress and threat. Used together, they offer ways of working with patterns that insight alone hasn't shifted. How I combine them depends on the person and what emerges in our work.
Does Vanessa work with therapists and other helping professionals?
Yes. Many of the women I work with are therapists, counselors, psychologists, and social workers. Doing personal work outside your own professional network is both ethically sound and clinically wise, and that work is held with care and discretion.
Does Vanessa work with people of all genders and identities?
Yes. While much of my work is with women, I welcome adults of every gender, sexual orientation, and relationship structure. Every part of who you are is welcome here.
Does Vanessa have experience with racial and collective trauma?
Yes. I'm a Black woman with a bicultural background, born in the United States and raised in Germany. I bring personal as well as clinical familiarity to work involving racial and collective trauma, ancestral trauma, identity, and belonging.
How can I verify Vanessa's credentials?
My EMDRIA credentials can be verified through my official EMDRIA credential wallet, and my Pennsylvania counseling license can be verified through the Pennsylvania Licensing System.
Curious about the format? See how trauma therapy intensives work. Traveling from out of state? See the Visiting Lancaster guide.
If my approach resonates, you're welcome to reach out.
A 45-minute phone call to explore what brings you here and whether this is a good fit, with no obligation.
If you're in crisis or don't feel safe right now, you can call or text 988 in the U.S. to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time of day.