Dr. Vanessa Prestridge Graf
Experienced LMFT blending thought work and insight
LMFT California
- Experience
- 29 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Parenting
- Approaches
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness Therapy
- Languages
- English
About Vanessa
Dr. Vanessa Prestridge Graf brings nearly three decades of clinical practice to work with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy struggles, grief, trauma, and a range of other concerns including parenting, addictions, body image, eating and sleeping difficulties, and bipolar mood challenges.
Background and approach
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who combines practical, thought-focused work with attention to early life experiences that shape beliefs and behavior. Her approach emphasizes identifying and reshaping the unhelpful thoughts that maintain painful patterns, drawing on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside mindfulness practices and psychodynamic understanding of attachment and family of origin influences.
Clients can expect a collaborative process that balances concrete skill-building with attention to emotional history and meaning. Dr.
Graf frames therapeutic change as a process of reframing beliefs, cultivating self-acceptance, and developing more adaptive habits. She encourages curiosity, courage, and a sense of humor as part of recovery and growth, and she has witnessed many clients make lasting shifts by changing how they think and relate to themselves and others.
Practical Approaches for Online Therapy and Thought Work
Dr. Graf often uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify unhelpful thoughts and develop alternative, more adaptive thinking patterns; this approach is well suited to anxiety, depression, and many stress-related problems. She also incorporates Mindfulness Therapy to build present-moment awareness and reduce reactivity, which can support recovery from anxiety, low mood, and impulsive patterns.Choosing the best approach is treated as a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss your concerns, goals, and preferences and help decide whether thought-focused exercises, mindfulness skills, or exploration of early relationship patterns will be most helpful at a given stage of work. Treatment can shift over time as needs evolve, with the client and therapist making adjustments together.
Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging makes it possible to access continuity of care from California regardless of where a client is located. These formats offer flexibility for scheduling, allow work to continue through life transitions, and support regular practice of techniques between sessions, making it easier to integrate therapeutic change into everyday routines.
Frequently asked questions
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
29+ years
Licensed
California, Colorado
Languages
English