Vanessa Hintz, PsyD
PSYCHOLOGIST. KEYNOTE SPEAKER. LEADER.
Dr. Hintz is a licensed psychologist who received her doctorate in clinical psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Her journey to the field was one wrought with multiple barriers—both individual and systemic. Dr. Hintz openly discusses the difficulties she experienced in forming a strong sense of racial identity as a biracial child of divorced parents. In addition, she navigated spaces in higher education that were not always welcoming, subsequently experiencing further difficulties finding spaces to belong. Ultimately, Dr. Hintz credits a number of transformative experiences to her current success, including the decision to immerse herself in the study of existential psychology, as well as furthering her understandings of the dynamics of power and privilege.
Dr. Hintz has engaged with practitioners and scholars in the fields of academia, consultation, and training, utilizing expertise in psychology and human behavior to provide insights focused on principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Dr. Hintz advocates for environments and relational ways of being that promote inclusivity, foster engagement, and allow individuals to show up each day as their most authentic selves.
In her prior clinical practice, Dr. Hintz worked with children, adolescents, and adults with a wide array of presenting issues. She received extensive training in working with individuals who have been exposed to traumatic experiences, those with co-occurring substance use issues, as well as those struggling with emotional regulation. Dr. Hintz worked actively in her therapy practice to achieve understanding of each person's unique circumstances, all while ensuring one's individual values and beliefs were respected within the relationship. She believed the ultimate goal of therapy is to empower individuals to confront problematic circumstances in their lives, and to work collaboratively toward furthering health and wellness.
Dr. Hintz is also a self-proclaimed "Psych Geek,” integrating elements of popular culture with psychologic concepts in ways that promote the empowerment of those who have been historically marginalized. She has been a contributing author to three different books in the Popular Culture Psychology Series, to include, Black Panther Psychology: Hidden Kingdoms, The Joker Psychology: Evil Clowns and the Women Who Love Them, and Stranger Things Psychology: Life Upside Down.
Dr. Hintz became a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. in the Spring of 2006. She was initiated into the Delta Theta chapter at the University of Louisville, and is currently an active member of the Kappa Beta Zeta graduate chapter in Milwaukee, WI.
Conference presentation at the Biennial Research Conference of Division 45 of the American Psychological Association (Society for the Psychological Study of Culture, Ethnicity and Race)
Participating in a panel discussion at Wizard World in Madison, WI
Keynote session for the Be in The Know Youth Conference (Click photo to watch session)
Panel discussion on Stranger Things at San Diego Comic-Con 2022 (Click photo to watch session)
Black History Month discussion with employees of the Milwaukee Bucks (sponsored by BLACC)
What people are saying.
“During the 4th Annual Be In The Know Conference, Dr. Vanessa Hintz joined our attendees to deliver an empowering, enlightening, and authentic keynote presentation. During this conversation, Dr. Vanessa addressed several topics including coping skills, identity, belonging, and social/racial equity. Her content was not only educational, but also vulnerable and thought provoking. Breakout rooms that took place after her presentation allowed young people to dive deeper into the topics at hand in a smaller group setting. Thank you for spending the day with us Dr. Vanessa, your advocacy and skills certainly made a deep impact on our participants!”
— Plymouth Youth Development Collaborative (PYDC)
“Dr. Vanessa Hintz provided multiple leadership training sessions for our organization focused on issues of inclusion and diversity. Vanessa brings a voice of compassion, challenge, and intelligence to these critically important issues. Her consultations were extremely well received by our leadership group, and would enhance the competence of any organization in the areas of inclusion and diversity.”
— Robert Nohr, PhD, Chairman, Board of Directors, Cornerstone Counseling Services, Inc.
“Working with Dr. Hintz has been incredibly helpful for our organization. She possesses a deep knowledge base that she shaped to fit the needs of our clinic's work around anti-racism. She is a skillful facilitator of discussion, creating a comfortable environment where we were able to take risks and grow as individuals and as a team.”
— Kim Skerven, PhD, Center for Behavioral Medicine