About
Dr. Cantu
Passionate About Inspiring Others
My name is Vanessa Cristina Cantu, and I am the proud founder and owner of the Bullying Empowerment Center. I am originally from Brownsville, Texas. My favorite things to do include taking road trips, trying new restaurants, reading, and most importantly, spending quality time with my daughter.
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Besides being a mother, I am a licensed professional counselor as well as a crisis intervention counselor for a local school district. I have worked in the education setting for over 10 years. I began as an elementary teacher before I continued as a middle school guidance counselor. In 2007 I was a statewide semi-finalist for the H-E-B Excellence in Education Award. As a teacher I always incorporated character education into the traditional curriculum so my students would not only be academically ready, but also be more respectful and caring individuals.
I received my bachelor of journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin, my M.Ed. in counseling and guidance from The University of Texas at Brownsville, and my Ph.D. in rehabilitation counseling from The University of Texas – Pan American. I wrote my dissertation on bullying to learn as much as I could about this serious issue affecting so many people.
I decided to specialize in bullying counseling because I have seen such a need for the services, whether it be a child or adolescent experiencing it at school or an adult dealing with it at work.
I am currently a member of the Texas Counseling Association and International Bullying Prevention Association. I have been a member of the American Counseling Association, Texas School Counselor Association, and the Texas Alamo Region Counseling Association.
I am also a disaster mental health counselor volunteer for the American Red Cross.
I have presented at workshops and conferences, as well as published articles in peer-reviewed journals. I continue to educate myself by attending professional development trainings to learn the latest bullying research on effective prevention and intervention strategies.