Licensed to practice in Wisconsin and accepts 9 insurances. Specializes in Mood Disorders, Trauma and PTSD, Addiction and 10 more.
(she/her)
New to Grow
Hi, I’m Dr. Valerie, I bring to therapy a lifespan orientation, in which I prioritize the lived experience of each individual—what they’ve felt, survived, and internalized. My original training was in Developmental/ Child Psychology. After receiving a PhD in Developmental Psychology, at the University of Califronia at Berkeley, I became a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. I have 30 years experience working with individuals of all ages. My training has focused on Evidence-Based, Gold Standard, therapy options. I am certified in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for trauma, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for depression, anxiety, anger management, emotion regulation and substance use disorders. I enjoy working with complex needs, in which more than one diagnosis is present. Personality Disorders are a special interest area for me. I love complex problems, and have plenty of tools!
Our first session focuses on heping me see the world as you see it. Before jumping into a therapy approach, it is helpful to do a thorough assessment . Our first task is to understand what motivates you to seek therapy now. Once that is accomplished, we can look at a wide scope of therapy options,, and together we can build an individualized treatment plan. The best therapies tend to be a combination of a structured, educational curriculm, plus making sure we have time to talk about anything that you would like to talk about.
My sessions are grounded in compassion, curiosity, and a belief that everything makes sense once we understand the full context. I use humor and warmth to create a safe, engaging space, ensuring we end each session on a positive, empowering tone. I make sure to end each session with positivity and humor. This way, ytou will want to come back for the next session.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I start with a thorough assessment of symptoms and reasons for seeiking therapy. . Then we choose a measure that can show chang4e over time, to let us know if therapy is effective.. Once we have a plan, we can look at a variety of evidence based therapy options, and together we can choose the most efficient and effective therapy. I am trained in a variety of evidence based methods. The best therapy tends to be a combination of ean ducational curriculum, and time for anything you would ioke to talk about. Therapy is for you, and I make sure the curriculum is always secondary to your needs.