Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Nank and Maribel Mesina-Geib.
Hi Vanessa and Maribel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Vanessa Nank, M.S., Licensed School Psychologist, Co-Owner: My name is Vanessa Nank and I’m a licensed School Psychologist in the state of Florida. I was born and raised in Queens, New York. I lived in New York most of my life before moving to Fort Myers, Florida. My family are originally from Guyana, South America. Inspired by my love for kids and the hope to play a supportive role in their lives, I started my career in the human services field as a Career Counselor for a nonprofit in Long Island, New York.
I later went on to take on roles as Case Manager and Family Mediator working with homeless adolescents. I also worked as an educational advocate for kids in foster care.
Working with youth along the years helped to solidify my decision in becoming a School Psychologist. I became a School Psychologist in 2014. I worked both in the Yonkers Public School district in New York and the Collier County school district in Florida. As I worked with students of various cultures, backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs, I began to see a need for mindfulness education. In 2017, I wrote Mindful Me, a children’s book about the benefits of mindful living. Through my work with youth, I seek to promote social/emotional learning, mindfulness, executive function skills, and self-care. My goal is to encourage self-awareness and self-worth to help youth discover their highest potential.
Maribel Mesina-Geib, M.A., Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Co-Owner:
My name is Maribel Mesina-Geib, and I am a Bilingual Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of Florida. I was born and raised in Santa Ana, California with my parents, Jorge and Maria who are both from Colima, Mexico. I have five siblings, Maria, Rosario, Jorge Jr., and David. I lived in California most of my life before moving to the Southwest Florida area. I have been working as a mental health practitioner for the last 8 years in Washington State, California, and Florida. I have experience in working with the following populations: individuals 6+ year old through the lifespan, families, and couples. I completed my bachelor’s degree from the University of California Irvine, double majoring in Sociology and Chicano-Latino Studies. I completed my master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington. I have worked with a variety of individuals who experience severe/persistent mental illness, mood disorders, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, self-esteem issues, and substance abuse issues. In addition to being a therapist, I have had the opportunity in the last 2+ years to be a Clinical Manager for a private practice in Cape Coral, Florida. This opportunity allowed me the ability to develop leadership skills, support clinician’s growth, and the opportunity to learn about business. I enjoy being a therapist because I feel that I am entrusted every day with the clients’ most valuable thoughts and feelings. It is an honor to work towards supporting clients in reaching their mental health and recovery goals.
After this long journey, we both met at our previous place of employment. We realized very quickly that our values, beliefs, and long-term goals were quite similar. We both grew tired of working in environments that didn’t serve our mental and emotional well-being in a positive way, so long story short, after leaving work one day and feeling depleted we stood outside the parking lot in the pouring rain and said to ourselves “we should just start something of our own and work together”. That one moment changed the trajectory of our lives in many ways, all for the greater good! Creating this business means so much to us, our parents/families came from very little and had to work very hard to provide for us. It was all through observing our families that we learned work ethic, determination, and ambition. Our families’ struggles were not in vain, and we are very much a product of their sacrifices. We remain focused and determined to work together in building a practice that allows our clients to feel both heard and valued. Our mindset is similar in the sense that we understand nothing in life is achieved alone. We work side by side every day and have the highest respect for one another. Not only are we business partners but we have become family. We are excited to see where this journey will lead and look forward to the meaningful work up ahead.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We can’t say it has been a smooth road to get to this point in our career. This journey has not been an easy one, but we learned many important lessons along the way, including what is most important to us. Family, friends, taking care of our well-being, and setting boundaries are just to name a few.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a private practice providing counseling services to individuals, couples, and families in the state of Florida. We use evidenced-based approaches such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), behavioral interventions for children struggling with attention and behavior challenges, and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT). Additionally, Maribel is certified in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) which helps to support individuals in processing trauma. We help to create a treatment plan with research-based approaches to best meet your goals and needs for therapy. Our hope is that you walk away from each session with new tools for your coping skills toolbox, a new perspective on your current challenges, and new skills in managing your day-to-day stressors. The therapeutic relationship is an important factor in this process, which is why Present Mind seeks to create a safe and comforting environment for our clients. We want to provide as much support and guidance as you move forward in the therapeutic process. Sessions are typically scheduled on a weekly basis to provide consistency, build rapport and trust, and most effectively facilitate change. Treatment frequency and duration will vary depending on your goals. We focus on a collaborative approach with our clients and ongoing communication is important to us. We are very proud of our brand and its sense of authenticity. We approached every step of this business with intention and believe it is reflected through our brand. We really wanted people to get a sense of who we were. Connection and relatability are key factors within our branding model. This has been both an exciting and meaningful journey. We joined forces to create a practice that encompasses professionalism, diversity, forward-thinking, and a high standard of care for our clients. This is more than just a job for us.
We believe in guiding our clients to discover their truest potential and self-worth through utilizing a client centered approach.
How do you define success?
Our definition of success is having a balance. Being able to spend time with family, friends, help our clients through the work we do, and have some time in the mix for ourselves would count as a huge success for us! Nothing is worth more to us than the meaningful experiences/memories we create in our lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: presentmindllc.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/presentmind.llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087713214863
- Other: https://www.alignable.com/fort-myers-fl/present-mind-llc
Image Credits
Jesi Cason Photography
