Welcome to
DMH + UCLA
PMHP

Vanessa Porea is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Michigan and registered as an APCC in the state of California. As an individual living in long-term recovery, Vanessa is also a Nationally Certified Peer Recovery Support Specialist (NCPRSS) through the National Association for Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors (NAADAC). Born and raised in Michigan, Vanessa attended Central Michigan University, where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration before going on to earn her Master’s degree in Professional Counseling, with a focus on co-occurring disorders and the adolescent population. After completing her Master’s degree, Vanessa moved to Los Angeles to further specialize in Addiction through a program at UCLA. Throughout her time in the field, Vanessa has been a case manager, therapist, program manager, and clinical director of an adult private residential treatment center (RTC). Her time in the field has included both public and private care settings, including work as a therapist in a juvenile justice program in Detroit and care coordinator at an adult Full Service Partnership (FSP) program in Los Angeles. Vanessa firmly believes that all individuals who need help deserve to be met where they’re at and provided with compassionate, evidenced-based care that empowers them in their lives. Vanessa is passionate about advocacy work and breaking stigmas that surround mental health and addiction, leading her to become an Ambassador for Shatterproof and collaborations with various other nonprofits for speaking engagements and events. She is a strong advocate for the normalization of naloxone and making it easily accessible to all those who need it, along with changing the way that we view those struggling with addiction and mental health.