- Family of origin issues
- Stress and anxiety
- Client-centered approach
About Valerie
Valerie Smith is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Virginia with 30 years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, depression, parenting challenges, addictions, and family of origin issues. Her practice also addresses sleep and eating problems, ADHD, and work-related concerns.
She describes her style as conversational rather than interrogational. Sessions focus on talking through current problems and practical steps to change unhelpful patterns. Valerie draws on many years of work across hospitals, courts, corporate settings, and nonprofits to bring real-world perspective to sessions.
Valerie often helps people identify childhood beliefs that still shape choices today. She suggests concrete strategies to test different ways of thinking and behaving. Treatment may include looking at how relationships, roles, and expectations from the past show up in present life.
Her clinical background includes work with PTSD, critical incident debriefing, childhood trauma, and substance use concerns. She combines client-centered conversation with techniques from cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic traditions when helpful. Solution-focused and trauma-informed methods may also be part of the work.
Clients who want straightforward discussion and practical suggestions tend to seek her out. She also offers perspective informed by having raised a child and long experience across varied workplaces. To begin, clients are invited to try a session and see how the approach feels for them.
Approaches used in remote sessions
Client-centered work puts the client’s perspective first. The therapist listens to what matters most and follows the conversation to uncover practical steps and coping ideas. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on changing the thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going, and it can be helpful for anxiety, depression, and stress-related habits. Psychodynamic ideas look at patterns and beliefs that started in early relationships and how they affect current choices and intimacy. Choosing an approach is a collaborative process. Valerie will talk with the client about goals, try approaches that match those goals, and adjust the plan based on what helps. The first few sessions are often used to understand patterns, try techniques, and decide what feels most useful. The specific online session formats available are not listed in the biography. Confirm current session options before booking so you know whether video, phone, or another format is offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time, which helps people keep counseling consistent alongside work, family, and school commitments.Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Listed in
Virginia
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, depression, addictions, parenting challenges, and family of origin issues among other concerns.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is conversational rather than interrogational, focusing on talking through problems and testing practical ideas for change.
How much experience does she have?
She has 30 years of practice experience in public, hospital, and private settings.
What are her credentials and location?
She is an LCSW licensed in Virginia and practices there.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English only.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How does cost and billing work?
Cost varies by location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started?
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.