About Vanessa

I chose name the “High Priestess in Chucks” because I am extremely grounded in this world (I’m a trauma-focused therapist, live in jeans and hoodies, have an amazing seven-year-old, and definitely drink too much coffee)… and I’m a high-level intuitive and energetic healer who is here to help others navigate through life on this 3D plane, heal their deepest soul wounds, and learn to shine their light as the healers and Lightworkers they are meant to be.

I came to this “position” in a very round-about way… I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing with Distinction from the University of Washington in Seattle, WA, a Graduate Certificate in Publishing from NYU in New York, NY, and a Master of Arts in Mental Health Counseling with a Holistic Focus from Lesley University in Cambridge, MA.  I was a paralegal for 15 years, and have at various times been a literacy coordinator, writing coach, academic tutor, copy editor, freelance editor and literary agency submission reviewer.  Two of my greatest passions are writing and editing, and most of my career has been built around these interests.

I have also been an empath and psychic medium my entire life, and as I matured, I found these traits began to guide my career in a surprising direction.  In my independent, self-directed education, I was drawn to various forms of study including chakras and energy work, professional mediumship, spiritual channeling, past life work, psychic readings, and animal communication. I took mediumship development classes, studied past life work with Brian Weiss, MD, and became certified in accessing the Akashic Records, as taught by Christina Cross, and soul-level animal communication, as taught by Danielle MacKinnon. I also studied both the Usui Reiki System of Natural Healing and the Shamballa Multi-Dimensional Healing Reiki System with various teachers, and have been a Usui Reiki Master Teacher and practitioner for more than a decade.

Because I found that Reiki always helped clients connect to deeper emotional and psychological issues, I decided to get my masters in clinical mental health counseling to better serve them.  I have worked with Richard Curtin, Psy.D., RMT, who pioneered techniques for combining Reiki with mental health counseling, which he has termed Psychotherapeutic Reiki.  I am the editor of his groundbreaking work, Psychotherapeutic Reiki:  Revised and Expanded, as well as a contributing author. 

I am incredibly passionate about accessible education.  I teach Mediumship, Psychic Development and Spiritual Mentoring classes, all levels of Reiki classes, and various spiritual and therapeutic workshops in person, and I run a Facebook group of more than 1,500 people, called “,” in which I address common soul wounds healers carry from this and many previous lives.   As well, I teach online courses for people in various levels of their spiritual journey, from beginning exploration to high-level, advanced healers who still feel blocked from fully serving. 

I am also the founder of the NE Association of Holistic Therapists, which aims to support mental health clinicians with integrating holistic healing techniques including energy healing, bodywork, intuitive and guided healing, spiritual exploration, etc.  

It is my passion to get as many Lightworkers serving the world as possible – you are VERY needed at this time!