Valerie has had the privilege of working with diverse populations in various settings over the past 15 years. Valerie has provided therapy and counselling support within mental health organizations, health care facilities, and the correctional system. The focus of her work has been in mental health, addictions, and chronic pain.

As a therapist, Valerie considers a healthy therapeutic relationship as an essential component in talk therapy. She views the client as the ‘expert’ in their own life. By using a person-centred approach, treatment goals and solutions are guaranteed to align with individual preferences and personalities. Valerie views therapy as a healthy practice for everyone because it can offer a sense of excitement, fun, and motivation towards creating healthy positive change and gaining momentum to put into practice the life we envision for ourselves.

Valerie can also assist you to identify and learn how to set healthy relationship boundaries, practice self acceptance, promote self care, and embrace ‘good-enoughism’. This can prove beneficial for those experiencing lack of life control, burnout, anxiety, depression, and perfectionism. She has witnessed people make profound gains by implementing realistic and manageable ‘tweaks’ to their present style of doing resulting in more overall life satisfaction.

On a personal level, Valerie enjoys social connections with friends and family. Her volunteerism includes community building in Honduras, former non-profit Board of Director, and womens’ shelter advocate. She loves the beach and water having grown up in close proximity to the Great Lakes. She is an avid bookworm (and will gladly offer up any book recommendations upon request), DIY fanatic, and destination daydreamer.