The concept of beauty from ashes has marked my own personal journey significantly. The Lord takes what is broken, desecrated, pained, and burned down and restores it not even to its prior form, but something better. This is how the Lord works. I became a counselor to help others walk through those broken, painful, overwhelming places that can feel hopeless and endless. Through being brave enough to face what ails us and hard work in partnership with God, we can walk from destruction into the abundant life Jesus promises.

As a counselor, I work with a variety of issues and specialize in trauma-informed struggles such as mood dysregulation, anxiety, PTSD, identity issues, shame, codependency, boundaries, attachment, and self-confidence. In this, I work to create safe, non-judgmental and authentic space where individuals can feel comfortable sharing the trials they find themselves in, in their own timing. I operate from a narrative therapy perspective, meaning that I believe that your story is yours and yours alone. We will work together to create a new healthy story through finding strengths and truth and challenging unhealthy beliefs. As C.S. Lewis said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”

Experience & Education

Valerie graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She completed her internship at Family Means in Stillwater, MN working with traumatized adolescents. She recently graduated from Denver Seminary with her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She has a wide array of interests and experiences that include ballet teaching, pastor wife-ing, painting, reading, and all things nature. Outside of the counseling office and ballet studio, you can find her adventuring with her husband and four children.