Vanessa Hernandez, LCSW, CADC, CCTP, SEP
CLINICAL PSYCHOTHERAPIST · SOMATIC EXPERIENCING PRACTITIONER · BILINGUAL ENGLISH & SPANISH · TREATING AGES 12+
Trauma, Somatic & Bilingual Therapy in St. Charles, IL
For Vanessa Hernandez, social work is more than a profession- it is a three-generation legacy of compassion, service, and helping others heal.
Her grandmother, although not formally educated in social work, naturally became a trusted source of support within her community. She helped others navigate difficult circumstances, connected people with resources, and was someone families could turn to when they needed guidance. Vanessa's mother continued that path through her own education and experience in social work.
Vanessa became the first in her family to pursue advanced education and graduate professionally in the field of social work. Today, she is proud to carry forward the values modeled by her grandmother and mother while creating a foundation of service, education, and healing for the next generation.
Trauma-Informed Therapy That Includes the Body
As a bilingual Latina therapist, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC), Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP), and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), Vanessa provides trauma-informed psychotherapy for adolescents, adults, and couples throughout Illinois.
In August 2026, Vanessa earned the Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) designation through Somatic Experiencing International, marking an important milestone in her advanced training in trauma treatment and nervous-system-informed care.
This specialized training strengthens her ability to help clients understand and work with how trauma, chronic stress, and overwhelming experiences can affect the body and nervous system.
Areas of Focus & Therapy Approaches
Vanessa specializes in trauma, PTSD, anxiety, addiction and recovery, relationship challenges, attachment wounds, betrayal, emotional dysregulation, and life transitions.
Her therapeutic approach integrates evidence-based and body-centered modalities, including EMDR, Brainspotting, Somatic Experiencing®, mindfulness-based therapy, and somatic relationship therapy.
Vanessa understands that trauma is not experienced only through thoughts and memories- it can also influence the nervous system, emotions, relationships, and a person's sense of safety.
Many clients come to therapy feeling stuck in survival mode, overwhelmed by anxiety, disconnected from themselves, or repeating patterns they do not fully understand. Vanessa helps clients explore these experiences with compassion while developing greater emotional regulation, self-awareness, resilience, and connection to their bodies.
What Therapy With Vanessa Looks Like
Her approach is warm, collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in the belief that healing should occur at a pace that respects each person's individual story.
Rather than focusing only on symptoms, Vanessa works with clients to understand the experiences and patterns beneath them and build meaningful, sustainable change.
Addiction & Recovery Counseling
As a Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Vanessa brings extensive experience in addiction treatment and recovery.
She recognizes that substance use can sometimes develop as a way of coping with trauma, emotional pain, shame, or chronic stress. Her trauma-informed approach addresses both behavioral patterns and the underlying experiences that may contribute to substance use while supporting accountability, self-compassion, and long-term recovery.
Couples & Relationship Therapy
In her work with couples and intimate relationships, Vanessa explores how attachment, past trauma, betrayal, emotional safety, and nervous-system responses can influence connection.
She helps partners recognize recurring patterns, better understand themselves and one another, rebuild trust, strengthen intimacy, and develop healthier ways of navigating conflict and vulnerability.
Bilingual & Culturally Responsive Therapy
Vanessa provides therapy in English and Spanish and is committed to culturally responsive care that honors each client's identity and lived experience.
As a Latina therapist, she recognizes the importance of family systems, cultural values, immigration experiences, generational narratives, spirituality, intergenerational trauma, and family expectations within the healing process.
For clients who desire it, faith-integrated counseling can also be incorporated in a respectful, ethical, and client-led manner, creating space to explore healing through the connection between brain, body, and spirit.
Above all, Vanessa strives to create a therapeutic environment where clients feel seen, understood, respected, and supported as they reconnect with themselves, strengthen their relationships, and move toward meaningful change.
“At Embrace, healing begins when we give ourselves permission to listen to our story with compassion and reconnect with the wisdom of our body, mind, and spirit.”
Faith-Integrated Counseling
Catholic Christian Approach · Available Upon Request
For clients who wish to incorporate their Catholic Christian faith into therapy, Vanessa offers a respectful, client-led approach that integrates faith with clinically grounded care.
Therapy may thoughtfully explore prayer, Scripture, spiritual identity, Catholic Christian values, religious wounds, and the relationship between faith and emotional well-being. This approach honors the connection between brain, body, and spirit while supporting each client’s individual relationship with God, healing process, and therapeutic goals.
Faith integration is always optional, ethical, and guided by the client’s preferences.
Education & Credentials
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CADC)
Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP)
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP)
MA in Social Work — Aurora University, IL
BA in Human Services — National Louis University, IL