- Empathetic listening
- Skill building
- Goal directed
About Valerie
Valerie LaPorte is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) with 21 years of professional experience. She brings steady, goal-minded care and a straightforward style to sessions. Parents and adults who worry about sleep, stress, or shifts in mood often find her approach practical and direct.
She uses an empathetic, client-centered style that focuses on listening first. Valerie helps people set clear goals and breaks larger problems into small steps. She emphasizes dignity, respect, and compassion in every interaction.
Her work draws on cognitive behavioral tools to help people notice patterns and try concrete changes. She also uses attachment-based ideas to look at how relationships shape feelings and behavior. Mindfulness and dialectical behavior strategies are added when they match a person’s goals.
Valerie has long experience with a wide range of concerns, including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, parenting strain, addictions, and sleep difficulties. Much of her career has involved supporting people with serious mental illness and complex needs, and she is a Minnesota Board of Social Work approved clinical and non-clinical licensing supervisor.
Sessions are practical and action-oriented. Valerie helps people build skills they can use between appointments. She aims to make therapy feel doable and to help clients see steady progress over time.
How Valerie’s approaches fit with online therapy
Attachment-based work looks at how relationships shape emotions and behavior, and online sessions can be used to talk through patterns and practice new ways of relating. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and a collaborative pace so the client sets the goals and the therapist follows their lead. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) emphasizes identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying small behavioral experiments, which translates well to remote sessions where homework and brief check-ins keep progress moving.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful, and then tailor methods to the client's needs. Clients can expect an ongoing conversation about whether the chosen strategies are working and adjustments when needed.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Many people find online work helpful because it can fit into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and remove travel time. It also makes it easier to continue sessions when routines or location change, while keeping the focus on practical skills for sleep, stress, and mood that can be used between appointments.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
21+ years
Credentials
Minnesota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does this therapist help with?
Common concerns include anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, stress, sleep problems, parenting strain, addictions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, and ADHD among others.
What is the therapy style like?
The approach is empathetic and client-centered while remaining goal-directed. Sessions focus on listening, setting clear goals, and practicing skills between meetings.
How much professional experience does this therapist have?
She has 21 years of professional experience and over 10 years of direct clinical experience working with a broad range of concerns and populations.
What credentials and location are associated with this provider?
She holds a Minnesota Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker credential, listed as LICSW, and is based in Minnesota.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English, and the therapist is able to work with international clients as noted.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking so you know whether online or in-person choices are offered.
How is cost handled for therapy?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.