Vanessa Kent, Ph.D.

Bio

Caring for children and families has always been a part of Dr. Vanessa Kent’s life pursuits. From volunteering with the Special Olympics and Red Cross as a teen to becoming a special education teacher in a rural community, she worked to help those dealing with physical and mental challenges. After teaching three years with students who struggled not only educationally but emotionally, she returned to school to earn a master’s in clinical counseling. Instead of returning to the school system as planned, she continued as a clinical mental health counselor and later obtained her marriage and family license.

As a seasoned clinician of over 20 years, Vanessa served as clinical director in various agencies, as well as developed supervisory training programs. She is both licensed as a professional counselor supervisor and AAMFT marriage and family supervisor, making her a sought-after supervisor for those seeking dual licenses.

Her passion is working with couples, families and women’s issues, using her training in attachment theory, Emotionally Focused Therapy, EMDR and trauma-focused interventions. Areas of specialization include attachment and adoption, eating disorders, relationships, sexual abuse and spiritual integration. She has provided training for churches, military bases, schools and crisis centers.

Desiring to train the next generation of counselors, she pursued her Ph.D. in Counselor Education & Supervision from Regent University. She was grateful for the opportunity to integrate spirituality within an accredited counseling program. Shifting her focus from clinical work to teaching, she is excited to return to Regent in a faculty role. She hopes that the students become counselors of excellence, informed by clinical research, skilled in innovative techniques, and experience spiritual transformation.

Publications

Kent, V., Runyan, H., Savinsky, D., & Knight, J. (2018). Mentoring Doctoral Student Mothers in Counselor Education: A Phenomenological Study (Doctoral dissertation).Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.

Newmeyer, M, Keyes, B., Palmer, K., Kent, V., Spong, S., Stephens, F., & Troy, M. (2016). Spirituality and religion as mitigating factors in compassion fatigue among trauma therapists in Romania. Journal of Psychology & Theology, 44 (2), 142-151.

Affiliations

American Counseling Association-ASERVIC Division

American Association of Christian Counselors - Clinical Member

American Association of Marriage and Family Therapist- Clinical Member

Chi Sigma Iota- Regent University, Virginia Beach, VA Chapter

International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT)

Kappa Delta Pi- University of West Florida Chapter (Past-President)

Awards

Chi Sigma Iota Honor Society

SEDAC Above and Beyond Award for work with at-risk children in Escambia County, Fl

Outstanding Student in Special Education Department - University of West Florida

Summa Cum Laude

Research Awards

Templeton Foundation, co-investigator with Dr. Jennifer Ripley and Dr. Everett Worthington, researching spiritually integrated couples counseling as part of Big Data research on spiritually integrated counseling through Brigham Young University.