Our Story

Espasyo was created to offer something many people have been searching for: a different kind of therapeutic space. One that honours your story, your pace, your body, and your capacity to heal.

Vanessa initiated a community pantry in Quezon during pandemic, 2021

Our Story

Espasyo Psychological Services was founded by licensed psychologist Vanessa Haro from a deep awareness of the gaps many Filipinos experience when seeking mental health support. For many clients, finding the right psychologist, doctor, or therapeutic approach can feel confusing, inaccessible, or limited by systems that do not always meet the fullness of their needs.

Espasyo was created to offer a different kind of care. While talk therapy can be meaningful, we believe healing does not have to be limited to conversation alone. Our practice honours integrative and trauma-informed approaches such as Brainspotting, somatic work, parts-informed therapy, and other evidence-based modalities that respect the client’s pacing, nervous system, lived experience, and inner wisdom.

At the heart of Espasyo is Vanessa’s long-standing passion for pakikipagkapwa: a deeply human way of meeting people with dignity, compassion, and shared humanity. We believe therapy should not feel like generic advice or strategies that can simply be searched online. It should feel relational, personalised, and grounded in trust.

Espasyo is built on the belief that people carry not only pain, but also strength, goodness, complexity, and the capacity to heal. We welcome the whole person, including the parts that feel wounded, hidden, uncertain, or difficult to name.

Our approach is warm, non-traditional, and quietly bold. We exist to create a rare kind of space: one that challenges the usual model of care and offers something more human, more attuned, and more deeply respectful.

Because sometimes, what people need most is not to be fixed.

Sometimes, they need space.

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Who We Are

  • A different kind of space for healing.

    Espasyo Psychological Services is a 100% telehealth-based psychology practice offering compassionate, trauma-informed, and personalised mental health care.

    We were created for people who are looking for support that feels safe, thoughtful, and deeply human. At Espasyo, therapy is not treated as a one-size-fits-all process. We honour each client’s story, pace, body, culture, relationships, and capacity to heal.

    Our work is grounded in the belief that healing begins with safety. Before change can happen, people need space to feel seen, heard, respected, and understood.

  • We believe people are not problems to be solved. People are complex, adaptive, wounded, resilient, and deeply capable of healing when met with the right kind of support.

    We believe therapy should make room for the whole person, including the parts that feel anxious, grieving, angry, disconnected, uncertain, ashamed, or difficult to name.

    We believe in the innate strength and goodness of people, while also recognising that pain, trauma, family history, culture, relationships, and life experiences can shape how a person survives.

    At Espasyo, we do not rush your process. We work with you gently, collaboratively, and respectfully.

  • Espasyo supports children, adolescents, adults, and families navigating concerns such as anxiety, trauma, grief, stress, burnout, depression, emotional overwhelm, relationship difficulties, identity concerns, life transitions, and the impact of difficult experiences.

    We also offer specialised psychological services, including trauma-informed psychotherapy, Brainspotting therapy, child and adolescent psychology, and mental health certificate consultations when clinically appropriate.

Reviews

  • Brainspotting truly is revolutionary. Revolutionary in a way that it doesn't define or label people right away for mental illnesses, but rather creates windows and doors that further understand ourselves and others. It also makes you realize the power of validation, affirmation and listening -- that we all yearn for, yet, are difficult to do because we all wanted to be heard. Sometimes, we forget to do so to others. And I think Brainspotting truly is a change that breaks stigma and will change people's lives and I'm looking forward to that."

    — Louise Melka Saavedra, Former BSP Client

  • "Malaki ang aking pasasalamat sa paggabay at pakikinig upang lalo kong maunawaan ang sugat sa aking damdamin. Napakahusay ng practitioner na samahan akong himayin ang mayor na dumadamdam sa aking isip, baybayin ang epekto ng mental stress sa aking pisikal na kalusugan, at turulin ang nais kong kahantungang resolusyon ng aking iniindang problema. Isang empowering na karanasan ang paghilom sa Kanlungan, nang kusang lumitaw ang nais kong mangyari nang walang ipinipilit o ibinababa sa akin kung ano ang dapat mangyari o dapat gawin. Ang mga buhul-buhol na saloobin ay dahan-dahang lumuwag at nagkaroon ng kaliwanagan. Dahan-dahang ipinasalamin at ipinagtibay sa akin ang tunay kong panalangin at kalooban. Sa bawat session ay isang makabuluhan, at puno ng pag-asa, na paglalakbay upang makilala at mapagtibay ang sarili. Lubos kong nirerekomenda ang neuroexperiential sessions ng programang Lunduyan at Espasyo ng Brainspotting Philippines Training Consultancy Services."

    — Shie Songalia, Former Client

  • "Naramdaman ko talaga ang magtiwala sa Espasyo dahil kailangang-kailangan ko nang may mabago ako sa sarili ko at makaramay sa pinagdadaanan kong emotional na nararamdaman ko. Dahil mahal na mahal ko ang mga anak ko, isa sila sa rason ko kung bakit ako hindi nagdalawang isip humingi ng tulong sa Espasyo; gusto kong maging mabuti pa sa mga anak ko, at hindi ko maipasa sa kanila ang mga pangit kong karanasang emotion. Malaking tulong ang naransanan ko sa bawat sessions ko dito sa Espasyo. Naramdaman ko ang halaga ko sa buhay at lalo pang naging matapang sa hinaharap. Maraming salamat po sa inyo!"

    — Belinda, Client

  • "The session was fun and really helpful for those people who are fighting struggles with themselves."

    — G, Former Client

  • "Salamat sa serbisyo na ibinahagi sa akin ng Espasyo. Sa kanila ko naramdaman na hindi ako hinuhusgahan base sa aking kwento at dinanas sa buhay. Binigyan rin nila ako ng paraaan kung paano ko kakaharapin ang mga bagay nang hindi kinakailangang maging agresibo sa mga desisyon. Mula no'n, naging aware at mindful ako. Salamat sa panibagong pagkakataon, maraming therapy techniques na ang aking nasubukan, pero sa kanila ako naging komportable. Sana marami pa kayong matulungan at marami pang makadiskubre ng Espasyo. Salamat sa inyo."

    — Beth, Former Client

  • "Sa Brainspotting, natutunan kong bigyan ng espasyo ang aking sarili upang harapin ang mga emosyon tulad ng takot at galit sa paraang nagbibigay pansin sa pisikal na katawan. Isang bagay na tila nahihirapan akong gawin. Sa tulong at gabay ng aking katuwang, malaya kong nabalikan ang mga alaalang nagdulot ng matinding hapis habang pinapakiramdaman ang mga sensation sa aking katawan. Mahusay ding ipinaliwanag ng katuwang ang kahalagahan ng koneksyong isip-katawan. Masasabi kong isa ito sa mga aral na aking babaunin hanggang sa aking pagtanda. Taos-pusong pasasalamat sa oportunidad na ako'y makapaghilom."

    — Nicole, Former Client

  • "Vanessa is a grounded person and understands how to bring out the best in others, which make her a great human being to interact with. We have known each other for several years, and I had the great pleasure of not only working alongside Vanessa but also to learn by her side. We partnered on several task groups in the Brainspotting Philippines, Inc. Over the years, she has not let go of a single opportunity to better herself professionally, a feat that keeps me in constant awe of her. Vanessa distinguished herself in every way due to her exceptional insight into handling core human resource functions and coming out on top even when the going was at its toughest. Her intellect matched her capacity to communicate clearly and project an open, friendly persona to others regardless of their level of expertise. Her willingness to accept challenges while remaining open-minded to input enables her to contribute thoughtful, well-reasoned approaches to any duty at hand. Through her abilities and immaculate work ethic, she has gained everyone’s respect. She has never given anyone the opportunity to complain, as all her deadlines and deliverables are met way before time, and she works diligently to ensure that no stones are left unturned when handling critical situations. In fact, Vanessa is credited with enhancing various organizations’ human resources functions by effectively planning, implementing, and evaluating employee relations and HR policies, leading to increased functionality of these organizations, on many levels. Vanessa remains to be one of the people I respect the most and has my highest recommendation. If you’re looking for an exceptional human resource professional who knows putting 'humanity' in human resources while upholding organizational justice, Vanessa is never an option but always the best choice. I am very sure that any team/organization would thrive to its fullest under her guidance and perception."

    Teo, Collegue

  • "I became so overwhelmed by my daily tasks, to the point that I became so hypercritical of myself. Naging malaking tulong sakin ang Espasyo dahil mas natuto akong pakinggan yung sarili ko. Sa pakikinig ko sa sarili ko dun ko naranasan na sakin rin pala manggagaling yung comforting words na hinahanap hanap ko. Natuklasan ko na kaya ko naman palang maging gentle sa sarili ko. I’ve always had troubles finding the right words to say, pero sa Espasyo kailangan mo lang pansinin ang bawat pakiramdam at sundan ito. I’m so thankful for my practitioner for being so patient with me and always validating what I feel through every step of the session."

    Karla Arpon, Former Client

  • "Espasyo, my gratitude towards you knows no bounds. I've built a strong rapport with you and feel a deep sense of trust in you as my mental health practitioner. The impact on my mental well-being since beginning the brainspotting and somatic sessions has been remarkable. I've become more aware of triggers and can identify them with clarity. Since starting these sessions, not once have I contemplated suicide when confronted with triggers from childhood wounds."

    B, Former Client

  • "Me not being able to skip rope wasn’t really my main problem during the session it was more on some personal relationships but it’s amazing how Brainspotting can even improve my performance. Espasyo was all ears during the session and she demonstrated her undivided attention. Her presence didn’t give me any barriers to expressing myself and it helped me to be connected to my body to feel my emotions without any guilt. I’ve been dealing with heavy feelings these past few months, these intrusive thoughts have taken their toll on me. me being able to share my emotions with Vanessa helped me to lessen the gravity around my shoulders. I’ve come to realize that If we are all being human about life everything’s overwhelming. Me being overwhelmed by my emotions affected my skip rope hobby I couldn’t jump for a while and that led me to frustration since it is one of the activities that I do to find relaxation. I thought it was my beat or my feet but after the session with Espasyo, I felt light physically and emotionally. I found out that it was around my shoulders that was giving me so much gravity and it was the way I hold the rope that was making me trip. The session with Espasyo has given me a sense of relief that not every time things should make sense to just simply acknowledge our emotions. I know It’s hard to find comfort in that statement since I know that I am the kind of person who likes to ask why. it’s hard to calm the water and make it clear. it’s hard not to think all the time but it could be the only way, to let it be and just do nothing. I acknowledge the fact that right now I am feeling helpless, right now I am disappointed right now I am hurt. after all, the time has its own way to heal by just simply surrendering it."

    Conrad, Former Client

  • "Sa sobrang remarkable ng imahe na iyon na nagdala sa akin sa pakiramdam na ako ay mahalaga at malakas 'habang' nakadadama ng vulnerability, pina-art commission ko ito. Pinadama sa aking ng espasyo ng Brainspotting na posible palang maging komportable sa mga bagay na hindi mo maipaliwanag at sa mga bagay mismo na hindi komportable sa pakiramdam. Noong nasa mga sessions ako, lalo nitong huli, magaan palang dalhin ang mga negatibong emosyon. Sa isang perpektong imahe o tagpong lumitaw sa isip ko, naghalo ang pakiramdam ng grief, frustration, at academic burnout sa magagaang pakiramdam ng self-compassion at forgiveness... kung kaya, sa imahe nga, may mga batong nakasuksok sa parang ulap na hawak ko at ng aking ina. Naranasan kong mahawakan ang parehong bigat at gaan. Yes, ang aking ina rin ang pinagmulan ng parehong grief at emotional support."

    Maki, Former Client

  • There are a lot of ways to describe my experiences with Ms. Vanessa. It was always so full of knowledgeable exchanges and at the same time it's full of lighthearted stories that I both cherish dearly. But one of the best description about our time together is that, it is peaceful. On a personal note, I consider Ms. Vanessa as a person that I can always feel at home. Even in the first few months (and years) that we came to know each other. Ms. Vanessa's aura always make me feel at home and at peace. And as a mentor, both in academic and in Brainspotting, she was always a sight to see. I admire her expertise and her knowledge about the things she does. Ms. Vanessa always had an input to things, and she shares those inputs to the team, making progress on the team (and to myself, personally) fruitful and easy. There's no doubt, Ms. Vanessa is one of the few people I look up to and I aspire to become someday. Every moment with Ms. Vanessa is stored in a special place in both my mind and my heart. She helped me grew into the person I am today, and I am looking forward to more years under her careful and expert guidance.

    Dkaye, Colleague

  • Espasyo has been incredibly amazing when giving time and a safe space for clients. Though I have in total of 2 sessions with Espasyo, it really amazes me how much I felt the safe space I needed for a long time during our sessions. I was given a lot of time to process my thoughts and problems, and Espasyo has rendered her time to very much help her clients as much as she can. Dito ko na-realize na napaka-helpful talaga ng safe space para sa isang tao.

    K, Client

  • I am currently working under Ms. Vanessa's supervision, and I have learned a lot from her. She consistently provides feedback, which demonstrates her genuine concern for my growth, both professionally and personally. Additionally, she consistently reminds me to prioritize my overall well-being and regularly asks about my welfare. Her unwavering support in every possible way has made me feel secure and valued. As someone who often struggles to ask for assistance, Ms. Vanessa has created an environment where I feel comfortable seeking help when I need it. I am sincerely thankful for the opportunity to work with her. I wholeheartedly admire Ms. Vanessa as a leader. Her dedication to the professional and personal development of her team members is truly commendable. She creates a supportive and inclusive atmosphere that encourages open communication and growth, and working under her guidance has been an enriching experience.

    Nikki Vacunawa, Former Team Member

  • "Tunay nga, pwedeng gumaling ang mga sugat natin kung bibigyan tayo ng isang ligtas na espasyo na puwedeng maging malaya. Sa pag-aalala sa mga mabigat na karanasan na iyon hanggang sa makahanap tayo ng ilaw patungo sa paghilom. Ito ang dulot ng Brainspotting, isang lugar na hindi ka huhusgahan, kung saan sinasabi na ikaw ang eksperto sa sarili mong buhay at may kakayahan kang maghanap ng solusyon. Dati, nahihirapan akong magsulat, ngunit dahil sa sessions ko sa Espasyo, nagkaroon ako ng mas malalim na pagtitiwala at pagmamahal sa aking sining. Napakaspecial ng naging karanasan ko dito dahil sa tulong ng Brainspotting, naghilom ako. Hindi sapat ang mga salita na ginamit ko rito para maipakita ang buong kahulugan ng aking karanasan. Pero isang bagay ang malinaw: lahat tayo ay may kakayahan na maghilom sa isang ligtas na espasyo. Salamat, Espasyo. Mabuhay ka!"

    H

  • "I can say that I feel validated right after the session. I feel enlightened the fact that my experiences are valid. The therapy felt like someone pulls you out of the circle that almost drown you. The heavy feeling that I felt was slowly lifted. I was able to regain my focus."

    Emmanuelle, Former Client

  • "My session with Espasyo just literally made my heart and mind feel better. Through their guidance, I was able to heal some parts of me that was hurt and broken. I never thought a glimpse or a conversation between the little version of me and current me would appear in my mind, and I think that really helped me. I am really grateful for the session I had with Espasyo."

    H, Client

  • "It was amazing that even for at least 2 hours, I was still provided with a safe space, and helped me slowly heal from the experiences that I have talked about today.:

    J, Former Client

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