Center For Healing Childhood Trauma

Meet Vanessa Pohl

Vanessa offers a unique perspective drawing from her own story of childhood trauma and survivorship, clinical professional knowledge and expertise, foster-adoptive parenting, and her Christian faith. Vanessa and her husband, Mark, live in beautiful Winona Lake, IN with their four children.

Vanessa has her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with counseling experience, disciplined in developmental psychology and early childhood trauma and healing. Vanessa currently cares for her young children at home, while teaching part-time at Grace College in the Behavioral Science Department and as a public speaker. 

Vanessa is passionate about educating and equipping others on a variety of topics including, but not limited too: childhood development and trauma healing, navigating difficult relationships, emotion regulation, growth mindset and resilience building, foster/adoptive parenting, and importantly, faith development. Vanessa serves on the leadership team for Community Bible Study in the Warsaw/Winona Lake community, serving over 200 women and children. 

Additionally, Vanessa is an artist and small business owner, Join Vanessa. The business is centered on building creativity and connection in the lives of others through watercolor painting. Vanessa offers watercolor workshops, personal paint kits and gift boxes, private events, and sells her own collection of works. She is pursuing ways she can marry her clinical background with her creative background to better serve individuals, families, and groups struggling with chronic stress, trauma responses, and emotion regulation.  


Credentials: MA, CMHC, TF-CBT, Business Owner, Adoptive Mother, Survivor