- Family of origin issues
- Anxiety and stress
- Addictions and grief
About Valerie
Valerie Johnson-Cardoso is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Florida with 30 years of experience. She works with adults who struggle with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship problems, depression, and family of origin concerns. She also addresses issues like grief, parenting stress, ADHD, and intimacy-related difficulties.
She practiced in both Florida and Pennsylvania, including residential mental health and residential substance abuse settings. She spent 16 years as a school teacher supporting students with learning differences, autism, and emotional or developmental challenges, and maintained an evening private practice during that time.
Her background includes home-based and day treatment work with children and adults, and experience across agency and private-practice settings. She has developed knowledge around religious trauma syndrome and faith transition. That variety of settings has given her experience with a wide range of life stages and concerns.
In sessions she treats therapy as a collaborative effort. She prefers to work as a team with the person in front of her, trying different ways to address problems and finding what fits. She talks with clients about spotting harsh self-criticism, understanding how it formed, and learning ways to reduce its impact.
Valerie describes change as a process and focuses on practical steps people can take to feel calmer and more in control. She aims to build trust and to provide a nonjudgmental environment where clients can speak about feelings and work toward clearer responses to life stressors.
Therapeutic approaches and online sessions
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and focus on their values and actions. It can be useful for anxiety, stress, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches practical skills to change patterns that contribute to depression, anxiety, or low self-esteem. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions, improving regulation, and reducing impulsive behaviors.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about goals and preferences, and together they will decide which methods to try. That collaboration helps shape the plan and lets adjustments happen as progress is made.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm the current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and offer choices about whether to use video or not depending on comfort and bandwidth. Licensed professionals can use these formats to help people maintain continuity of care while balancing daily responsibilities.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Florida
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, relationship difficulties, depression, grief, parenting strain, ADHD, and family of origin issues among other areas.
What is her therapeutic style?
She takes a collaborative, team-based approach and tries different methods to see what fits each person. The focus is on practical steps to reduce harsh self-criticism and improve coping.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 30 years of experience across residential mental health, residential substance abuse, school teaching, agency work, and private practice.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, FL LMHC, based in Florida and with past practice experience in Pennsylvania.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
Session formats are not specified in the biography; confirm current session options before booking.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Looking for someone else? Find them by surname.