Vanessa Cushing

Owner and Founder of Cushing Counseling & Sex Therapy Pro™

About Me

Licensed Professional Counselor

As a counselor I compassionately support and challenge those I work with to grow, reflect, and flourish in order to meet their treatment goals. My collective aim is to help clients eliminate distress, build more adaptive coping skills, gain insight into unhealthy patterns, and most importantly facilitate growth and healing. I am committed to creating a safe and trusting environment for all clients wherein they feel seen, affirmed, respected, and free to express themselves authentically.

I am trained as a generalist practitioner, I am competent in working with adults with a wide variety of concerns. I am a Certified Sex Therapist from the University of Michigan. My specialization in sex therapy allows me to work with clients with a wide variety of sexual issues including but not limited to: low sexual desire, desire discrepancy, erectile dysfunction, delayed ejaculation, female orgasmic disorder, Genito-pelvic pain/penetration disorder, premature ejaculation, reclaiming sexuality after trauma, sex addiction, and out of control sexual behaviors. I also specialize in integrative couples and sex therapy. I am also an LGBTQ+ affirming counselor.

It is also important to note that I am a direct and no-nonsense therapist. I challenge my clients to work vigorously towards their goals and will push them just as hard. My approach draws from cognitive behavioral therapy with a feminist orientation. This approach is especially useful in sex therapy because we are able to focus on psychological, relational, and social aspects of sexuality as well as utilizing cognitive and behavioral interventions. I also integrate mind-body interventions for trauma survivors.

My office is an inclusive and welcoming space for all folx.

Education, Credentials & Memberships

  • Master’s degree from Johns Hopkins University in Clinical Mental Health Counseling

  • Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC)

  • Dual bachelor’s degrees from University of Virginia in Psychology and Women and Gender Studies

  • Certified Sex Therapist from the University of Michigan

  • Member of American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT) 

  • Member of the American Counseling Association (ACA)

  • Member of Chi Sigma Iota International Honor Society (CSI)

  • Member of and Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society (ΦΒΚ)

More about me:

  • I have a mini golden-doodle named ginger she is the love of my life.

  • I live in Miami but my family still lives in Virginia.

  • I am a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor and a passion of mine is to empower women in the fitness world.

  • I am an avid runner x3 marathoner and attempting to complete my six star journey for sexual trauma survivors

  • I recently learned how to make sourdough bread and have been obsessed with baking bread every weekend. Also ask for my brownie recipe its fantastic (brown butter included).

As seen on…

Publications