“Let Your Heart Be Your Compass, Your Mind Your Map, Your Soul Your Guide And You Will Never Get Lost.”
Ritu Ghatourey
Vanessa Mangione, MHC LP
Hi, I'm Vanessa — a mental health counselor based in Rochester, NY, with a background in addictions counseling and advanced training in mind-body healing and wellness.
I named this practice True North because I believe that the answers we spend so much time searching for externally are often already within us. We carry an inner wisdom — in our bodies, our emotions, our gut feelings, and the patterns we notice in our relationships — but so many of us have learned to distrust or tune it out. To me, the work of therapy is learning to listen to those signals again, to understand what they are telling you, and to bring that clarity into your everyday life and connections with others.
My approach is rooted in Experiential Dynamic Therapy — specifically Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP), a highly researched method that works directly with emotions and defenses in real time rather than simply talking about them. If you’d like to learn more about this approach, check out my resources page.
My work is integrative by nature — beyond ISTDP, I draw from a range of modalities based on the unique needs of the person in front of me, because no two people heal the same way.
Outside of the office, you'll find me in the garden, making music, trying to learn something new, or adventuring with my kids and partner.
A note about the healing journey
Healing is not a finite process. There is no arrival or end point. It is a forever unfolding. And as you heal, there are moments of increased awareness and clarity. Moments of increased joy and connection. The things that once derailed you and made you feel broken are more often approached with ease and confidence. You slowly awaken to the understanding that you were never broken at all. You were just momentarily lost. Far from your center. Far from your truth. You were always simply human, having a human experience. If you are here, now may be the time that you are finally ready to find yourself again, to reconnect to all of it — the pain and the joy of truly being alive.
— Vanessa
Qualifications
Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling - University of Rochester
Advanced Certification in Mind-Body Healing and Wellness - University of Rochester
Addictions Counseling Certificate - Monroe Community College
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology - University of Rochester
Specialized Training & Supervision
Core Training in ISTDP with Maury Joseph- Year One (present)
Individual, Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) supervision with William Watson
ISTDP Group Consultation with Maury Joseph
Pre-Core Training in Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy with Michelle May, Washington School of Psychiatry (January 2025)
Annual Halifax ISTDP Immersion with Allan Abbass & Joel Town (2025)
ISTDP for Functional Neurological Disorders Immersion with Allan Abbass (December 2024)
Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT) Group Supervision with Andre Marquis, University of Rochester (2023)
ISTDP for Personality Disorders, with Allan Abbass (2023)
Annual Halifax ISTDP Immersion with Allan Abbass & Joel Town (2023)
“Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside awakes.”
~Carl Jung
