Valerie Novak, LMFT
Compassionate therapist who centers your story
Details
| Name | Valerie Novak |
|---|---|
| Credentials | LMFT |
| Based in | California |
| Licensed in | California |
| Session format | Online |
| Languages | English |
| Years in practice | 10 |
About Valerie
Valerie Novak is a licensed marriage and family therapist practicing in California. She brings ten years of clinical experience to sessions and focuses on practical, everyday struggles like stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship strain. Valerie emphasizes clients' strengths and personal stories when working toward change.
Her approach begins by listening to how a person's life looks now and what they want to be different. She uses Narrative Therapy to help people separate themselves from their problems and rewrite unhelpful stories.
Background and approach
Attachment-Based ideas guide conversations about how early bonds shape present patterns, especially around communication and caregiving stress. Valerie also draws on Client-Centered principles to keep sessions grounded in the client's priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques are offered when concrete tools for mood and anxiety management are useful.
For those coping with traumatic memories, she also integrates EMDR-informed methods as appropriate. Sessions tend to be collaborative and straightforward. Valerie helps people name the issues, try small changes, and track what works.
Topics she commonly addresses include parenting strain, grief and loss, addiction concerns, caregiver burnout, and life transitions. Her style aims to be calm and respectful while focusing on useful steps forward. She encourages people who are uncertain about therapy to take the match questionnaire and schedule an initial appointment to see if the fit feels right.
What this therapist works with
Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, Relationship issues, Family conflicts among the things Valerie works with, alongside the areas below.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Addictions
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Communication problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Post-traumatic stress
- Social anxiety and phobia
Approaches listed
- Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
- Attachment-Based Therapy: Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Internal Family Systems: Listed by Valerie among the ways she works.
- Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Valerie directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.
Narrative Therapy in this listing
Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.
If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Valerie directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.
Online session options
How Valerie's approaches translate to online care
Valerie uses Narrative Therapy to help people tell and reshape the stories that define them, which can reduce shame and open options for change. Attachment-Based Therapy informs work on relationship patterns, caregiver stress, and how early bonds affect present behavior and feelings.She also relies on Client-Centered Therapy to keep the work focused on each person's goals and pace. Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the process; she will collaborate with clients to decide what feels most useful based on their needs and preferences.
Online formats support this work in practical ways. Video calls let therapists and clients see nonverbal cues and practice communication skills together. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth or screen time is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging offer brief check-ins, ongoing coaching, or a way to process material between sessions. These options make scheduling more flexible and help people fit therapy into busy lives.
Common questions about this listing
What kinds of issues does Valerie address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and parenting concerns, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, anger, self-esteem, career questions, and coping with life changes.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is collaborative and story-focused, using Narrative Therapy along with attachment and client-centered ideas to help people reframe problems and build on strengths.
What experience does she bring to sessions?
She has ten years of professional experience working with a broad range of emotional and relational concerns, including caregiver stress and trauma-related issues.
Where is she licensed and practicing?
She is a licensed marriage and family therapist - LMFT - practicing in California.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
How does pricing work for online sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Contacting this therapist
Sessions with Valerie are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Valerie where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.
Or see other therapists in California »
This is a partner link. We will earn a commission if you sign up through it, at no cost to you. It does not change what you pay or the order of the listings.
Other listings in California
- Moushumi Ghose, LMFT - California
- Yanina Lambert, LMFT - California
- Stacey Sugar, MD, LCPC, LPCC - California
- Lisa Wyatt, LMFT - California
- All therapists for stress, anxiety »