Vanessa Ford, LCSW CADC

Vanessa has been my therapist for eight years — in that time she’s been my clinician, trusted advisor, and mentor. She creates an incredibly safe clinical relationship for me to process, identify, and learn to live with and walk through my struggles. If you’re looking for a «hard-​nosed, tell you what to do» kind of therapist, go elsewhere. Vanessa is truly committed to developing and maintaining her clinical skills and modalities to help me find my own path to wellness and wholeness. Working with Vanessa has changed my life in ways I never imagined possible.

I have been going through some major life changes this year and thought seeing a therapist would be beneficial. I had a stereotypical scenario of a serious man and a notepad taking notes as I lie back on a couch and relive childhood traumas.
Dr Ford is casual, friendly, and sensitive. I quickly got over my fear of being judged and am constantly amazed at what I confide in her. She has a natural ease about her; there is no judgement, only casual acceptance, and guidance in determining for myself what something means to me or what I would like to get out of an experience/​session.
The decision to begin seeing her was the best gift I could have given to myself, and I should probably let her know my sincere appreciation.

I came to Vanessa in crisis mode, after finding out my husband was an addict. I was struggling with my own anxiety and trust issues after the rough year we had; and I wanted to be the best version of my self. We spent most of our time doing talk therapy. Vanessa is extremely professional, which is something that is very important to me. I appreciated the safe place and loved that she didn’t judge. She taught me how to acknowledge when my thinking was distorted, and gave me techniques to help in the moments I was anxious. She helped me regain my self-​confidence and really helped to save my marriage, by helping me to learn to trust myself and my instinct. I had to cut our relationship much shorter than I had hoped, because we moved to the suburbs. It will be tough to find another therapist that I trust so much, and that I connect to on that level. Do not hesitate to reach out if you feel desperate or are looking for a professional space to work on yourself. This is an amazing place!

I have been a client of Vanessa’s for many years, and I highly recommend her to anyone who is suffering from anxiety. She is gentle with her guidance and provides a safe and relaxing space. She is highly skilled in both talk therapy as well as EMDR. Vanessa is willing to accommodate varying schedules and is very helpful and knowledgeable when it comes to navigating insurance. Vanessa is a great fit for anyone needing a quiet and comfortable space to work on a variety of personal goals.

My experiences with Vanessa have been very pleasurable. Finding a compassionate and trustworthy confidant is a daunting task. I have been with Vanessa for 8 months now and have all intentions to continue our work together. I would suggest to her to anyone who is looking for sessions in the area.

Vanessa is an excellent therapist. Her insights and abilities are unsurpassed. I highly recommend her to anyone who is seeking individual or couples therapy. She has been particularly amazing with techniques for managing anxiety.

Vanessa has been a great help to me in dealing with anxiety and it’s accompanying issues. She creates an environment where I can work out and move past issues that have been bothering me for decades. I can’t recommend her highly enough for anyone with anxiety issues.
If you have something that you need to work out, don’t wait! Start now, you’ll feel a lot better.

Finding a truly talented counselor can be a difficult task. I found Vanessa after a particularly rough breakup and after consulting with several possible counselors. As someone working in a helping field I’ve stayed with her over the years because she is among the most talented therapists I’ve met. She is supportive, attentive, remembers everything (it’s uncanny), and isn’t afraid to ask tough questions. She also genuinely cares and is incredibly accommodating with time, billing, and other issues.
I’d add that perhaps the best measure of someone’s skills is the degree to which we are willing to refer others to them. I’ve sent several friends to see Vanessa over the years dealing with a wide range of issues from grief over family deaths or social anxiety to career struggles and general depression. Some attended sessions just briefly to deal with an episodic issue while others see her routinely. The commonality among these folks is that each of them raved about her after the fact.
I can’t say enough positive things about Vanessa. If you are looking for a counselor, look no further!

My partner and I started going to Vanessa for premarital counseling and also to help us transition into our new life in Chicago. She is a wonderful therapist and has helped us in ways I didn’t even imagine. She always remembers everything from our previous sessions and provides us with tools that really work outside of session. Her knowledge of LGBT issues and lifestyles was also very refreshing.
For the business stuff — Vanessa always goes above and beyond to accommodate our busy schedules. When our insurances changed she help us research the best one to bill which was definitely more than many healthcare providers will do. Her office is calming and warm and located near many public transport options.
I highly recommend Vanessa.

I found Vanessa online when an out-​of-​state friend recommended I try EMDR to resolve some deep-​seated issues I had that were affecting my wellbeing. Wow, am I glad I found her! Not only was the EMDR process *exactly* what I needed to move beyond some really long-​standing blockages, but Vanessa herself is simply a great listener and someone who really knows how to clarify and make connections so I could learn more about myself.
In just 11 sessions, spread out over the course of 3 months, I experienced 2 «talk sessions» and 9 EMDR sessions with Vanessa. Due to the incredible effectiveness of the EMDR process, and Vanessa’s skill at guiding me through that process, I was able to eliminate three MAJOR beliefs about myself that had held me back from getting the life I wanted for decades. I kid you not, these things were massive, deep, incredibly unhelpful beliefs that are now simply GONE. They’re just gone. I am finally free for the first time in my life to live the life I want, with no feelings of guilt, or shame, or «shoulds», or any of the other typical junk that we get stuck in that commonly sends people to therapy.
But unlike people who go to a therapist for decades and maybe change a little bit after a few years, Vanessa and the EMDR process helped me make HUGE changes – serious, concrete changes – in my self, my beliefs, and my life in 11 short sessions. I am a new person. One who can love more freely without being hurt, one who can make choices without doubting their validity, one who can live a unique life and offer my gifts to the world while finally getting what I need from the world at the same time. I’m telling you, it’s amazing.
If you are ready to heal, and you’re not the most patient person in the world, then EMDR and Vanessa are for you. While it’s true that I have been on my path to healing for a long time, and I have tried many modalities over the years that have helped me gain insight and peel back some of the layers of junk, this time with Vanessa has been exactly what I needed, at exactly the right time in my healing process. I can’t thank her enough, and I can’t be more in awe of the EMDR process. (Check out Vanessa’s web site for some info on the process, or just go to
and do a search for it – there is a TON of research showing how effective it is.)

If I could assign bonus stars I would. I’ve worked with Vanessa for about a year and a half and plan to continue. She is very gentle in providing additional perspectives and/​or potential approaches to issues or situations.
I’ve recommended her to many friends and could definitely see her approach working for everyone. When I leave I feel empowered and renewed. If you’re working through something, anything, and feel like you need to «talk it out» or could maybe use some help you should call her. Today. Next session topic: bossiness :)

Vanessa is a true professional, with excellent tools to help you come to your own decisions. She is non judgmental but is really smart and has a lot of background in a lot of issues. I’ve been with her for three years and I think she’s the best. If you’re lucky… She’ll bring one of her adorable dogs!

Great insights! Highly recommend.

Vanessa is professional and knowledgeable. She focuses on helping me keep focused on me and helps me beyond my issues, with the main goal being taking care of myself.
I believe Vanessa focuses on a net end goal for therapy which is important to me.
Vanessa remembers me, and the situations in my life, drawing upon events and tries to tie behaviors together to help me realize patterns. As a result of my work with Vanessa I have been able to change behaviors to be more productive and recognize feelings that may take me to a place I don’t want to be before they happen.
She is insightful, when we discuss a situation she has very good constructive comments that may not be directly related to the subject and I think «wow, great idea, I would have never thought of that, I’ll get right to it».
Vanessa has great follow up to meetings, not too pushy — perfectly mindful, she is great at navigating the insurance process, I have never had any problems.
I would recommend Vanessa Ford highly.

Words cannot describe just how much I appreciate Vanessa Ford and all that she has done for me. I’ve worked with her for over 4 years and in that time she has helped me grow and develop in ways I never thought possible. She has aided me in tackling each of my issues head on in a pragmatic, honest manner all while being understanding of what my boundaries are. Although my «road» has been rather rough at times, Vanessa has always been available to me and continues as such today. I feel Vanessa would be a great fit for anyone!

Vanessa is AMAZING! There are not enough great words to be able to describe my experience working with her. I have been able to share a history of change and growth with her by my side during the most troubling times of my life. She has been one constant for me and will always remain on my favorites list. I have recommended her to numerous friends and she is easily adaptable to each needs and equally supportive and amazing for each. Remarkable clinical skills and compassion are amongst her many assets.