- Strengths focused
- Relationship work
- Adoption concerns
About Valerie
Valerie Novak is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) practicing in California with ten years of experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship or family tensions. Valerie emphasizes each person's strengths and respects their personal story when starting work together.
In sessions she listens first and asks questions to understand what matters most to the client. She blends approaches so the work is practical and clear. That might mean looking at patterns in close relationships, trying small steps to change stressful thoughts and behaviors, or using narrative tools to retell a painful experience.
Her background includes a decade of supporting people through grief, addiction challenges, parenting strain, caregiver stress, and trauma. Valerie also pays attention to attachment concerns and issues connected to adoption and foster care. She aims to help clients find usable strategies and small changes that ease daily life.
Her style is grounded and collaborative. Clients can expect straightforward conversation, gentle curiosity, and work focused on goals they name. Sessions are paced to fit the person's needs and comfort.
Valerie encourages people who are nervous about starting therapy to be gentle with themselves. She views the first appointment as a chance to map priorities and agree on what to try next.
How therapeutic approaches shape online work
Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early and current relationships affect stress and closeness. It helps people notice patterns in how they connect and try new ways of reaching out. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and teaches practical steps to shift them, which can reduce anxiety, low mood, and worry. EMDR, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is used to work through troubling memories by connecting those memories with new, less distressing perspectives.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Valerie collaborates with each person to decide what fits best based on goals and what feels manageable. She may combine methods, explain options, and check in regularly to adjust the plan together.
Because specific session formats are not listed in the biography, confirm current online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people keep therapy consistent through life changes while focusing on the same approaches and goals used in face-to-face work.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Credentials
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Valerie help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family concerns. She also addresses parenting strain, grief, addiction, trauma, and related issues such as guilt and shame.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is collaborative and strengths based. She listens first, helps people set clear goals, and uses practical steps tied to those goals.
How much experience does she have?
Valerie has ten years of professional experience working with a range of mental health and relational concerns.
Where is she licensed and based?
She holds a California licensed marriage and family therapist credential, listed as LMFT, and practices in California.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can she see clients outside the United States?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are sessions scheduled and what do they cost?
Cost varies by location and availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working together?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.