Hi! I'm a licensed psychotherapist in California and for the past 15+ years I've witnessed my clients reconnect with their inner strengths and ability to shape their own lives. When working together you can expect a balance of profound insight and light-heartedness and humor as you journey towards what truly nourishes you bringing you ever so close to your most genuine self.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together, you'll experience a warm, judgment-free space where we'll get to know each other beyond just "therapist and client." I'll invite you to share what brings you in—both the challenges you're facing and the strengths you already possess—while balancing deep listening with thoughtful questions. You'll notice I blend traditional talk therapy with gentle opportunities to connect with your body's wisdom, perhaps through simple mindfulness exercises or noticing where you feel emotions physically. By the end of our time, we'll collaborate on identifying what matters most to address, and I'll offer some initial tools you can experiment with right away—because I believe in providing practical support from day one, because let's get this going!
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I bring to our work not just professional training, but a map drawn from walking through the valleys and peaks of human experience myself. I've known what it means to carry wounds from childhood into adulthood, to navigate reproductive journeys that didn't follow the expected path, and to wrestle with spiritual disillusionment until finding authentic connection. My own healing journey through movement and embodiment practices transformed how I approach therapy—because I've personally experienced how our bodies hold both our deepest pain and our greatest joy. When clients share feelings of profound isolation or cosmic connection, I recognize these territories not from textbooks but from having stood in similar landscapes. This firsthand understanding, combined with my experience designing wellness programs that have touched thousands of families and individuals, means I can meet you exactly where you are—with practical tools, genuine empathy, and just enough humor to make the journey feel not just possible, but ultimately rewarding.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
You might be a perfect match to work with Valentina if you're feeling stuck in old patterns but sense there's a deeper way to live that keeps slipping through your fingers. If you've tried traditional therapy but felt something essential was missing—perhaps the spiritual dimension or body wisdom that makes healing truly stick—her unique blend of practical techniques and soulful insight could be your missing piece. Her trauma-sensitive, culturally-aware approach creates a safe harbor for exploring what's been too difficult to face alone, especially if you appreciate someone who can hold space for both your tears and unexpected laughter. And if you secretly believe healing shouldn't always feel like serious work, Valentina's light-hearted presence helps transform even the heaviest journeys into opportunities for genuine joy and discovery.
About Valentina Helo
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Transpersonal
The Transpersonal approach embraces the spiritual dimension of human experience, reaching beyond the personal self to include transcendent states of consciousness. It blends traditional psychology with spiritual wisdom from diverse traditions, recognizing that profound healing and growth often happen when we connect with something greater than ourselves. In our sessions, you are welcomed to bring every aspect of your spiritual (sometimes even mystical) experiences. They'll be met with understanding, love, curiosity and some humor if needed. We'll work together in embracing the full spectrum of the human experience, including those profound moments that leave us in awe or transform our understanding of ourselves and reality.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
Person-centered therapy places you at the heart of the therapeutic process. I use this approach because I believe you have the inherent capacity for self-understanding and positive growth when provided with the right conditions. What makes person-centered therapy truly powerful is the profound healing that happens when someone feels genuinely seen and accepted, perhaps for the first time. I've witnessed remarkable transformations when clients are able to create and experience a relationship where they don't have to perform, achieve, or be anyone but themselves.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Culture shapes us. When working from a culturally sensitive approach we'll engage in humble conversations about how culture(s) have shaped your identities, worldviews, and experiences. We'll both celebrate their wonderful aspects and we'll be critical about what is no longer serving you so you have agency over what you chose to pass on and what you're ready to release and let go.
Mind-body approach
This approach is grounded in the interconnection between psychological processes and physical wellbeing. If relevant to you, we'll explore the relationship between your psychological state and your physical wellbeing by using methods like intentional movement, breath centered practices, somatic awareness, vagus nerve activation exercises, and EFT tapping. What makes this approach so powerful is that it opens multiple doors to healing at once. Many clients who've struggled with traditional talk therapy find relief as they reconnect with their body's natural wisdom. When we honor both mind and body together, people discover more effective ways to regulate their emotions and experience deeper, more complete healing. This integrated approach often creates breakthroughs where other methods have reached their limits.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness-Based Therapy integrates traditional meditation practices with contemporary psychological techniques to help you develop present-moment awareness without judgment. When working together, I will share psychoeducation for this technique, I might invite you to explore some of the exercises, we might practice during the session and you might chose to use them in your day to day. It is up to you and I'll follow your preference.