Therapist profile
Valerie Novak, LMFT
California
LMFT - Anger and Relationship concerns
Continue with ValerieKey details
- CredentialsLMFT
- LicenseLMFT, California / 107302
- NPI1538664503
- Experience10 years
- LanguagesEnglish
- LocationCalifornia
About
- Attachment-based work
- CBT techniques
- EMDR for trauma
About Valerie
Valerie Novak is a California-licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) with 10 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, parenting challenges, grief, addiction concerns, trauma, and anger. Her practice emphasizes practical help for day-to-day problems and coping with life changes.
Valerie sees people as the experts in their own stories and looks for strengths to build on. She uses clear, goal-focused conversation to identify what feels stuck and what small steps could change daily patterns. Sessions tend to be straightforward and action-oriented, with time spent on specific skills and ways to try them between meetings.
Her background includes approaches that focus on how relationships shape feelings and behavior. She draws on attachment-based ideas to understand patterns in relationships and on cognitive behavioral techniques to shift unhelpful thoughts and reactions. Narrative work helps reframe difficult experiences so they take up less space in daily life.
Valerie also uses EMDR methods when trauma memories are part of the problem and works from solution-focused methods to set concrete, short-term goals. This mix is aimed at reducing reactive anger, managing anxiety, and improving communication in relationships.
Clients can expect a collaborative, practical style that connects everyday problems to clear strategies. She encourages small experiments between sessions and checks in on what works so adjustments can be made along the way.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Valerie commonly uses attachment-based work to trace how past and present relationships shape current reactions, and she uses cognitive behavioral therapy to spot and change thought patterns that feed anger and anxiety. Attachment-based work looks at interaction patterns and helps people try new ways of relating. CBT lays out specific thoughts and behaviors to test and adjust.She also integrates EMDR when trauma memories are central to a person's difficulties, using structured processing to reduce the emotional charge of those memories. EMDR is aimed at lessening the intensity of trauma-related reactions so daily life becomes easier to manage.
Finding the right mix of approaches is collaborative. She will discuss options, check what feels manageable, and adapt plans based on your goals and preferences. The emphasis is on practical steps you can use between meetings and on measuring what helps.
Session formats are not specified in this biography, so confirm the available online options before booking. Online work can make it simpler to fit therapy into a busy routine - for example, shorter check-ins can slot into a lunch break, phone calls use less bandwidth, and remote sessions avoid travel time. Licensed professionals often use these practical advantages to help people maintain consistency and apply skills in real life.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She helps adults with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting challenges, anger, trauma and grief, and related issues like addiction and caregiver stress.
What is her therapeutic style?
She works in a collaborative, practical way that focuses on strengths, clear goals, and skills you can use between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 10 years of professional experience working with a range of mood, relationship, trauma, and stress-related concerns.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a California LMFT, which stands for Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, and she practices in California.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
Current session formats are not listed here; please confirm the available session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is unsafe, use the crisis numbers.