Valbona Jonuzi
Hello! I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP) with active licenses in New Jersey, Florida, and Texas. I specialize in nutritional and integrative medicine for mental health, alongside medical social work, grief and loss counseling, trauma-informed care, and telehealth therapy.
If you're dealing with chronic health concerns, grief, trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, or the emotional impacts of military service, I'm here to walk alongside you with understanding and expertise.
I have telehealth experience through secure platforms (including virtual counseling for military-connected individuals), I provide compassionate, evidence-based psychotherapy in a warm, non-judgmental virtual space. Taking a holistic approach, I support the whole person—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being—to help you process difficult emotions, manage stress and trauma, develop effective coping strategies (including nutritional and lifestyle integrations for mental well-being), build resilience, honor your experiences and losses, and move forward with greater hope, strength, peace, and purpose in your daily life. If you're dealing with chronic health concerns, grief, trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, or the emotional impacts of military service, I'm here to walk alongside you with understanding and expertise. Reach out—let's start your path toward healing together.
First session
During our initial conversation, we will explore: Physical health, including any medical conditions or medications Family background, relationships, and social supports Life experiences, such as education, work, living situation, and cultural or spiritual influences Coping strategies that help you get through tough times Strengths, resilience, and other positive resources in your life Risk and safety factors (for example, thoughts of self-harm—we discuss these openly and supportively if they arise) I’ll ask open-ended questions, but you control the depth and pace. The goal is to understand the full context of your life—not just the challenges, but also your strengths and what makes you who you are. Toward the end of our time together, we’ll talk about what feels like a good fit moving forward. This includes your goals, possible approaches (such as trauma-informed care, grief work, or coping skills), session frequency, and any questions about logistics.
Strengths
What stands out most in my therapeutic approach is my commitment to helping you heal, rediscover your inner energy, and tap into the strengths you already have. I create a safe, warm, and non-judgmental space where you feel heard and respected, allowing us to explore your concerns at your own pace. I tailor every treatment plan collaboratively with you, drawing on a person-centered, eclectic, and strengths-based framework. This means we focus on what is strong and resilient in you—your talents, coping skills, support networks, and cultural/spiritual resources—rather than just deficits. I integrate evidence-based interventions (such as cognitive-behavioral techniques, trauma-informed practices, solution-focused strategies, and grief-specific tools) while keeping everything flexible and customized to your unique needs, goals, and life context. My background in medical social work, grief and loss counseling, trauma care, and telehealth experience equips me to support you through complex issues like chronic illness adjustment, end-of-life transitions, caregiving stress, bereavement, trauma, anxiety, depression, or life changes.
Ideal clients
I am best positioned to serve clients navigating: Grief and loss — including the death of a loved one or pet, the end of a relationship, or other significant life shifts Anxiety, depression, and trauma — such as persistent worry, low mood, intrusive memories, or emotional responses to difficult experiences Chronic illness — including kidney disease, dialysis, and other ongoing health conditions that impact daily life and emotional well-being Caregiving stress — particularly for family members caring for elderly loved ones, individuals with dementia or Alzheimer’s, or those with chronic conditions (addressing burnout, emotional strain, role changes, and guilt) Geriatric concerns — supporting older adults as they adjust to aging, health declines, end-of-life transitions, or loss of independence Military and veteran experiences — including PTSD, combat- or deployment-related trauma, readjustment to civilian life, isolation, anger, sleep difficulties, survivor guilt, or rediscovering purpose after service Life transitions — such as retirement, relocation, shifts in family dynamics, or other unexpected upheavals.
Treatment methods
Eclectic
My practice is truly eclectic and deeply integrative—I thoughtfully select and blend evidence-based modalities tailored precisely to your unique needs, goals, and life story, rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all method. I draw on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and related techniques to help reframe anxious or depressive thought patterns and build practical coping skills. I incorporate motivational interviewing to support meaningful behavior changes, lifestyle shifts, or motivation around health and wellness. Mindfulness-based practices, somatic awareness, and stress-reduction tools are woven in to foster present-moment calm and emotional regulation. As a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP), I integrate nutritional and complementary strategies—such as evidence-informed guidance on diet, gut-brain connections, micronutrients, and lifestyle factors—to support brain health, mood stability, energy, and overall resilience. This flexible, person-centered approach is grounded in strengths, resilience, and cultural background. I uphold diversity, equity, and inclusion by blending culturally sensitive interventions—like narrative therapy to explore identity, family stories, or experiences across races, ethnicities, genders, and life transitions—ensuring therapy feels relevant, respectful, and empowering for you. Whether you're navigating grief, trauma, chronic illness, anxiety, depression, caregiving stress, military-related challenges, or major life changes, we co-create a plan that honors the whole you—mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual—helping you heal, grow, and thrive in ways that feel authentic and sustainable.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Short-term, goal-focused CBT for anxiety, depression, or work stress. Teach cognitive restructuring: Identify automatic negative thoughts (e.g., “I’m failing at my job”) → challenge with evidence → replace with balanced thought (“I made a mistake, but I’m learning”). Assign behavioral activation homework (e.g., scheduling one enjoyable activity daily to combat low mood). Use CBT worksheets (thought records, mood logs) via telehealth portal.
Grief Therapy
Grief is not a linear path with fixed steps—it's fluid, unique to each person, and often nonlinear. I teach clients that the emotions of grief ca, overlap, revisit, or even appear in different orders, which helps normalize the experience and reduces pressure to "grieve the right way." I draw primarily from Elisabeth Kübler-Ross's framework (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance) as a helpful, non-rigid tool to name and understand what you're feeling. These "stages" are common responses to loss, not a checklist everyone must follow in sequence. Kübler-Ross herself emphasized their flexibility—they describe patterns many people experience, but not everyone goes through all of them, and they can cycle or mix together. This model is especially useful for anticipatory grief (the grief that arises before an actual loss, such as during a terminal illness, chronic disease progression like kidney disease/dialysis, hospice care, or caregiving for someone with Alzheimer's/dementia). It provides a compassionate language for the complex emotions that come with watching a loved one decline, preparing for end-of-life transitions, or facing your own health challenges—helping you process fear, sadness, anger, or even moments of acceptance ahead of time. In our work together, we use this framework gently to: Validate and name your emotions without judgment Create a safe space to explore the full range of feelings Honor your unique journey through grief Build coping strategies, resilience, and hope as you move forward Whether you're grieving a recent loss, anticipatory grief from ongoing illness or caregiving, or the many layers of bereavement, my goal is to support you in finding peace, meaning, and strength amid the pain—on your own timeline, in your own way.
Mind-body approach
You can’t simply think your way out of a body that’s on fire. When chronic stress, trauma, grief, or illness keeps the nervous system in overdrive, the body holds onto that heat—through inflammation, tension, disrupted sleep, or persistent fatigue. True healing happens when we cool the body first, feed the brain with what it truly needs, and then support the mind to follow. As a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP) and holder of a Nutritional Consultant Certificate, I use a whole-person mind-body approach that goes beyond traditional talk therapy. I treat the interconnected layers of mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual well-being, recognizing that the body often stores pain just as deeply as the mind—especially in cases of chronic illnesses (like kidney disease or dialysis), trauma, anticipatory grief, caregiving stress, or overwhelming anxiety/depression. In our sessions, I blend evidence-based mind-body techniques with practical, nutrition-focused psychoeducation to help you reduce systemic inflammation and support the gut-brain axis for better mood stability. We use psychoeducation to understand how your body and mind interact, personalized homework (simple, realistic steps like tracking sleep/nutrition patterns or trying a short grounding exercise), and ongoing progress tracking to celebrate wins and adjust as needed. This integrated path is particularly powerful when words alone aren’t enough—when chronic health challenges, unresolved trauma, or grief keep the body signaling distress.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Licensed in
- FloridaLicense TPSW598
- New JerseyLicense 44SC06188200
- TexasLicense 106147