Find your happiness
and learn to put it first
Are you facing uncertainty in your relationship, career, or upcoming life transition? Struggling with separation or dating challenges? Suffering from anxiety and sadness caused by painful, traumatic experiences? If you're feeling stuck or unsure about your next steps, I’m here to help. Together, we can explore and identify the barriers holding you back, and create a clear path toward the positive changes and outcomes you desire.
Hi. I am Vanja (pronounced Vanya) Buckley, a therapist with a passion for emotional wellness, self-discovery, empowerment and social justice. I believe that every individual can heal, learn, grow and embrace a version of themselves that reflects their true, authentic self. Investing in yourself can be the most rewarding process one can experience because healing and personal growth leads to peace and improvement in all areas of life. Humans are imperfect, flawed, unique and beautiful and their capacity is limitless. I have experienced a fair amount of trauma and pain growing up in war-torn Bosnia and have learned that the other side of these life altering experiences can be filled with resilience, positivity and joy.
I provide a warm, welcoming environment for you to feel comfortable and safe to explore your thoughts and feelings. Since 2008, I have been dedicated to helping individuals navigate stress, painful transitions, anxiety, grief, trauma, and more. My work focuses on empowering clients to regulate their emotions, improve communication, and enhance self-worth and relationships. I believe in the power of acceptance and compassion as the foundation for growth and healing. My approach incorporates a variety of tools and strategies to help you boost your confidence and self-worth, increase motivation for change, decrease painful emotions and suffering, manage anxiety and perfectionism, improve relationships, and make many positive changes in your life. I believe that the key elements of healing are establishing a therapeutic relationship based on safety and trust, enhancing self-awareness, exploring limiting beliefs and behaviors, incorporating skills, and developing strategies for making appropriate behavioral changes. As a therapist, I embrace individuality, acceptance, compassion, and curiosity and believe that each person has the right to choose and defend their own beliefs, identity and life. I am here to support you in your journey of discovery and self-understanding and help you put into action solutions and strategies that will lead to change, growth and your positive transformation. I support the LGBTQIA+ community, the BLM movement and welcome all humans to my practice. I offer teletherapy in California, Texas, Missouri, Washington, Minnesota and Virginia.
Welcome to VPB Therapy!
“ The purpose of our lives is to be happy.” — Dalai Lama.
Pursuit of happiness is a basic human right, however many of us neglect it and allow ourselves to remain unhappy for long periods of time. We put others first, remain in unhealthy relationships, engage in pleasing behaviors, maintain miserable jobs and let others, pain and suffering affect our self-worth, goals and many aspects of our lives in such a significant way. It might be time to make a change. You can feel better and maybe I can help.
Face your fears and open doors toward growth and recovery
Neuroscience has shown that our brains register uncertainty very similarly to failure, which is one of the main reasons that fear of change or unknown can get in the way of us reaching our fullest potential. The discomfort with change contributes to us choosing to remain in undesirable situations in life and feel trapped with no way out. However, we can learn to face our fears, invite and welcome vulnerability, accept that we may not have control but can learn to manage any circumstance and situation we encounter and overcome any challenge or struggle. Welcoming change helps us regain a sense of power and puts us on a path of transformation.
Be your best self, invest in personal growth, don’t let fear guide your decisions. Empower yourself, take charge of your life and improve your self-esteem. Make healthy changes and cultivate deep and lasting relationships.
Try a session and see if it’s right for you.
There’s no long-term commitment, pressure, or obligation.
“Vanja is by far one of the most loving, understanding, compassionate persons that I have ever had the blessing to know. She has a way of explaining life situations and grasps the world as a whole…”
Colleague