Vanina Hochman, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, earned her degree in Psychology at the University of Florida and Master’s in Science from Nova Southeastern University after completing her internship at the Brief Therapy Institute and the STEPS program at Memorial Regional Hospital, an intensive inpatient adolescent substance abuse treatment program.  

From 2005 to 2013, Vanina was at Kids in Distress in the roles of therapist, clinical supervisor, clinical director, and program director, where she was able to treat and be involved with many different populations and many different aspects of treatment and program development, including grant writing, fundraising, and advocacy. In addition to her work with other government-funded programs, she also functions as a clinician, educator, and supervisor in her private practice. In the last five years, Vanina expanded her role to clinical outreach and business development, where she can provide education on addiction and mental health treatment and her passion for culturally competent mental healthcare, and help bring quality treatment to individuals and families dealing with the disease. Vanina currently serves as Family Ambassador for Family First Adolescent Services. She is bilingual with a fluency in Spanish, which has become an important tool in her success in accessing and treating a diverse population in the South Florida area. Although native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Vanina resides in South Florida with her husband and twin children.