Bring harmony back into your life.
Virginia Chavez, LPCC, LMHC, M.S., PPS
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Licensed Mental Health Counselor
Clinical supervisor
What it’s like to work with me.
I’m here to meet you where you are, offering a safe and non-judgmental space where your experiences are always validated. Therapy is a place to be seen, heard, and supported as you navigate your journey.
As your counselor, I bring real-life experience—I understand the weight of responsibilities, challenges, and disappointments. I won’t hesitate to share insights from my own journey when it can help yours. More than anything, I’m willing to sit with you in the uncomfortable moments, offering both compassion and gentle challenge.
Together, we’ll explore what it means to be self-led, helping you deepen your understanding of who you are, your strengths, and your innate worth. Through this work, you can cultivate lasting change—building greater confidence, curiosity, and connection within yourself and in your relationships.
My Specialties
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We all experience anxiety—it’s a part of being human. But sometimes, it can feel overwhelming, making it hard to live the life we truly want. That’s where support comes in.
As a therapist specializing in anxiety, I’m here to help you navigate those difficult moments with compassion and expertise. I am Certified in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy, a highly effective approach to working with anxiety and OCD. Together, we’ll learn how to lean into discomfort (I know, it sounds counterintuitive, right?), but in doing so, we build resilience, confidence, and freedom from anxiety’s grip.
The goal isn’t to eliminate anxiety—it’s to change our relationship with anxiety. By welcoming discomfort and responding to anxiety in new, skillful ways, we empower ourselves to live with greater ease, courage, and authenticity.
I look forward to walking alongside you on this journey toward a fuller, more fulfilling life.
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Grief is the pain of losing something—or someone—that once held deep meaning in our lives. Whether it’s the death of a loved one, the loss of a pet, a job, a relationship, or another significant change, grief often arrives unexpectedly. It wasn’t part of the plan, and it certainly wasn’t part of the dream.
As a Certified Grief Educator, we will navigate this loss together, helping you process your emotions, find meaning in the journey, and begin to build a new path—one you never anticipated but can still hold hope, purpose, and healing.
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With years of hands-on experience in local junior high and high schools, I truly love working with teens. Adolescence is a time of growth, challenges, and big emotions, and I provide a safe, understanding space where teens can express themselves, build confidence, and navigate life’s ups and downs.
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As a Gottman-trained counselor, I use proven skills and communication strategies to help you navigate relationship challenges. I believe all behavior is a form of communication, and some of our deepest pain—and greatest growth—comes from our connections with others.
Whether you're looking to strengthen a relationship, heal from past wounds, or find clarity in moving forward, I’m here to support you. Together, we’ll navigate uncharted waters with calm, clarity, and compassion.
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As an Level 1 Certified Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapist, my goal is to help you heal by accessing and nurturing your protective and wounded inner parts. Together, we will create both inner and outer connectedness by helping you first access your Self—the core of who you truly are.
Imagine stepping into a life filled with confidence, calm, compassion, courage, creativity, clarity, curiosity, connectedness—and choice. Yes, you do have choice. You no longer have to live in the cycle of "shoulding yourself." The power that comes with being Self-led is truly transformational.
I look forward to walking alongside you on your journey toward a fuller, more courageous, and connected life.
MY GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Compassion & Non-Judgment
I believe healing starts with feeling truly seen and heard. My approach is rooted in deep compassion, offering a space where you can be yourself without fear of judgment.
Authenticity
Therapy isn’t about perfection—it’s about honesty. I bring both professional expertise and real-life experience, sharing insights when they serve your growth while honoring your unique journey.
Empowerment & Self-Leadership
You are the expert on your own life. My role is to support you in strengthening your inner voice, helping you build confidence, resilience, and trust in yourself.
Growth Through Curiosity
True change happens when we lean into both reflection and action. I’ll offer a balance of warmth and curiosity, guiding you toward deeper self-awareness and meaningful transformation.
TRAINING & EDUCATION
I’m committed to ongoing education & training to best support you and your family.
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
LPCC #12109 – CaliforniaLicensed Mental Health Counselor
LMHC #10005194 - MassachusettsClinical Supervisor - BBS Approved
Pupil Personnel Services (PPS) Credential
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level 1 Certified
Certified Grief Educator - by David Kessler
IFS Immersion: Integrating Internal Family Systems (IFS) across clinical applications
IFS Online Circle
Anxiety Certification – CBT and Exposure & Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy
Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 1
Certified Menopause Coaching Specialist
Demystifying Anxiety and Finding Tools to Cope
The Neurobiology of Trauma: Using a Trauma-focused Lens to Support and Intervene with Students
School Consultation and Special Education
Prepare/Enrich Facilitator - Strong Marriages and Healthy Relationships
Understanding & Working with LGBTQ+ Youth
ADHD: Benefits of Time Management
Trauma and Compassion Fatigue in the School
Matthew Silverman Memorial Foundation - SOS Signs of Suicide Prevention
Empathic Strain and Vicarious Trauma
The Impact of Suicide on the Family