Vanessa Lim, LMHC, LPC-MHSP
Therapy does not make hard things easy, but it can make confusing things clearer. Even when things become clearer to us, however, we can find that the change we so desire is slower than we want it to be. From the start, counseling is a journey that invites us to be patient with all that’s unresolved in us.
I love working with clients towards seeing real change in their lives, as well as greater acceptance, honesty, and flexibility in how they relate to others and themselves.
I specialize in helping clients regulate overwhelming emotions, respond effectively to anxiety, address past trauma, and build supportive relationships.
I believe healing and wellbeing is deeply relational, and it’s an honor to provide compassionate presence to my clients as I witness their stories, their joy, and their pain. I have also found that we grow in patience with ourselves by being in relationship with those who are patient with us.
In addition to my private practice, I am a clinician with Bell Tower Counseling, a nonprofit counseling center in Seattle, Washington. I currently reside in beautiful Nashville but will always be partial to the Pacific Northwest! In my spare time, I love music, reading, being outdoors, or being with friends.
Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don’t be afraid.
-Frederick Buechner
Treatment Approach
I build my practice on the best that the research has to offer while also integrating the wisdom found in one’s personal and cultural values. My training is primarily in psychodynamic approaches and evidence-based treatments such as DBT, ERP, and CPT, but I tailor my treatment approach to each client’s needs, personality, and cultural background. I am committed to constant growth and learning alongside my clients. I treat a variety of concerns, but below you’ll find several specialties I have more extensive training and experience with.
I value collaborating with my clients on clear hopes and goals for treatment, thoroughly assessing challenges before treating them, and putting what we talk about into practice!
Specialties
Comprehensive Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)
Problems of emotion dysregulation
Persistent challenging behaviors
Suicidality and self-harm
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for anxiety and OCD (all kinds)
Trauma and abuse
Religious or spiritual conflicts
Relational conflict
Christian Psychology
Credentials and Training
LPC-MHSP (Tennessee) - # 8562
LMHC (Washington) - # LH70065955
M.A. Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Northwestern University
Training and Experience (Selected)
Ongoing DBT team consultation with STAAR DBT
Somatic Experiencing (SE) Basic Principles for trauma with Somatic Experiencing International (SEI)
Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD with Amanda Peterson, LMHC
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD with Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC)
Comprehensive DBT training with Drs. Jared Michonski, Erin Miga, Dorian Hunter, and Liz LoTempio, DBT-Linehan Board Certified Clinicians and supervisors (2022-2023)
60+ hours didactic training with Treatment Implementation Collaborative and Balance Psychotherapy Collaborative
Membership
Christian Association for Psychological Studies