Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
How Valerie works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Years in practice
- 10
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Valerie
Valerie Novak is a licensed marriage and family therapist in California who uses practical, person-focused methods to help people manage anger and related stresses. She draws on ten years of experience to support people dealing with anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and parenting stress. Valerie emphasizes straightforward help that people can use in daily life.
She believes each person knows their story best and brings those strengths into sessions. Valerie listens first and then helps people name the patterns that get in the way.
Background and approach
From there she offers clear strategies to reduce reactivity and improve communication. Her work combines Attachment-Based ideas with client-centered care and cognitive behavioral techniques. That mix helps people look at how early relationships shape current reactions and then practice different responses.
She also uses narrative methods to reframe painful events and EMDR when trauma memories need focused attention. Sessions cover practical skills like calming techniques, assertive communication, and problem-focused planning. Valerie also helps people facing grief, addiction struggles, career uncertainty, and life transitions.
Her focus includes compassion fatigue, caregiver stress, and issues tied to adoption and attachment. People meet with her by phone, video, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on what fits their routine. To get started a person completes a short matching questionnaire and schedules a session based on therapist availability.
What Valerie works with
Everything Valerie lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Valerie's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Post-traumatic stress
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches Valerie lists
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
Approaches that translate well to online care
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current responses. Online sessions use conversation and exercises to identify connection patterns and practice different ways of relating. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting what matters most to the person. In remote work this means sessions that center the client's priorities and pace, helping them find their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through short exercises and homework that are easy to share in video or text formats.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, history, and current challenges, then suggest strategies to try together. Adjustments are made as work proceeds so the plan stays relevant to the person's needs and preferences.
Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for face-to-face conversation and practicing skills. Phone sessions are a good option when bandwidth is limited or a quieter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging make brief check-ins, homework support, and coaching-style exchanges easier to fit into a busy day.
Questions people ask about Valerie
What kinds of concerns does she address?
Valerie helps people with anger, stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and family issues, parenting strain, addictions, trauma and grief among other concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She blends attachment-based work, client-centered listening, and cognitive behavioral techniques to create practical, usable steps for day-to-day life.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of professional experience working with adults on a range of emotional and relational concerns.
Where is she licensed and based?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist - LMFT - practicing in California.
Which languages are supported during sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What formats are available for sessions?
Sessions can be done via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How is cost handled for therapy?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Choose the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a session according to the therapist's availability.