About Valerie
Valerie LaPorte is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) with 21 years of professional experience. She focuses on practical, down-to-earth help for people coping with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, depression, and life changes. She uses clear listening and goal-focused work so people can take small, useful steps forward.
Valerie draws on several therapy styles to match each person's needs. She uses client-centered conversation to build trust and attachment-based ideas to look at close relationships.
Background and approach
She also applies cognitive behavioral techniques and mindfulness tools to reduce overwhelming thoughts and reactions. Her background includes long experience supporting people with complex mental health concerns and those facing addiction, sleeping problems, parenting strain, anger, and compassion fatigue. She has worked with clients who have experienced abuse, incarceration, or disability-related issues, and has experience across the adult lifespan.
Her sessions aim to be approachable and respectful. Valerie emphasizes focused listening, problem solving, and steps you can practice between meetings. She believes in building a treatment plan that fits each person’s goals and daily life.
Valerie is licensed in Minnesota and offers services in English. She accepts international clients and works through a variety of online session formats to make care easier to schedule and use.
How Valerie’s approaches translate to online care
Valerie commonly uses client-centered work and cognitive behavioral techniques to guide online sessions. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping a person explore what matters most to them. It is helpful for building trust and clarifying goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at patterns of thinking and behavior and teaches concrete skills to manage anxiety, mood, and stress.She also brings mindfulness practices into conversations to help slow down racing thoughts and reduce emotional reactivity. Finding the best mix of approaches is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their needs, goals, and daily routines, adjusting as progress is made.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video calls allow face-to-face interaction for skill practice and deeper conversation. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit a work break more easily. Live chat and messaging are useful for brief check-ins, homework support, or when someone prefers written exchanges. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and to continue care across different locations.
Questions people ask
What concerns does Valerie address?
What is her therapeutic approach like?
How much experience does she have?
Where is she licensed and based?
Which languages are supported?
What session formats are available?
How does pricing work?
How do I begin working with her?
What this therapist works with
Most often
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Personality disorders
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 21 years
- Licensed
- Minnesota
- Languages
- English
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.