Vanessa De Jesus Guzman, LPC, NCC

Vanessa De Jesus Guzman is a Keynote Speaker, Host of the Free to Be Mindful Podcast, and Board Certified Licensed Professional Counselor with 20+ years of experience working with thousands of children and families. Her insights on mindful living, mental health, and personal growth have been featured on the Today Show, Univision and multiple national publications.

After an 18-year career in education as a tenured second grade teacher and highly effective middle school counselor for New Jersey public schools, Vanessa founded Free to Be Mindful - a private practice providing psychotherapy to children and mothers, specializing in a holistic mindfulness approach to help clients reach their personal goals.

As a first-generation academia professional in her family, Vanessa is passionate about supporting Latinx mothers and professionals. Through her role as President for the Latino Mental Health Association of New Jersey, she is intentional with creating mentorship and networking opportunities in the mental health field. Her passion for mentorship doesn’t stop there; as the Founder of Amiga Moms™ she has created a platform to provide a supportive community and educational live events for the modern mom looking to find joy in life and motherhood. Vanessa is also the Co-Founder of the Latinx Practice Collective helping clinical entrepreneurs in New Jersey and New York, to achieve their goals and succeed in a world of private practice and beyond.

At home Vanessa is a bilingual, eldest daughter of hardworking Dominican parents, wife to a supportive husband, and mom to an incredible boy, a goldendoodle therapy dog, and has a baby on the way. She implements mindful living in her personal life through yoga, salsa dancing and as a Peloton enthusiast. She truly believes that in a world where we are free to be anything that we want to be... we are always Free to Be Mindful.