- Compassionate listener
- Goal oriented
- Trauma informed
About Valerie
Valerie Schmude is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Wisconsin with 12 years of clinical experience. She focuses on helping people manage stress, anxiety, grief, and the effects of trauma and abuse. Valerie aims to make the first step feel manageable and supportive for people reaching out.
She approaches each conversation with respect, sensitivity, and compassion. Valerie adapts the way she talks and plans treatment to match what each person needs. Sessions are practical and grounded, with clear steps you both agree on.
Valerie uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns. She also draws on Existential Therapy to help people explore meaning, values, and choices when life feels uncertain. Trauma-Focused Therapy is part of her work with people dealing with past harm or sexual assault and abuse.
People often come for relationship strain, family problems, codependency, phobias, or anxiety symptoms. Valerie listens first, helps set clear goals, and adjusts pacing so progress feels doable. She supports people through grief and the hard practical decisions that follow loss.
Her practice aims to be collaborative. Valerie helps people set short-term steps and longer-term goals. If you want to explore whether her approach fits your needs, she encourages reaching out and completing the initial match steps on the site.
How Valerie's approaches translate to online work
Valerie uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. CBT is useful for anxiety, specific fears, and stress because it focuses on practical skills and small experiments to shift daily habits.She also uses Trauma-Focused Therapy to address the effects of past harm and sexual assault and abuse. That approach helps people process difficult memories at a pace they can manage and build strategies for coping with intense reactions.
Choosing the right approach is a team effort. Valerie discusses your concerns, goals, and how you prefer to work, then recommends a path that fits. She checks in regularly and adjusts methods as progress and needs evolve.
Please confirm what session formats are currently offered before booking, as format options are not listed in the biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, reduce travel time, and allow a quicker return to everyday responsibilities after a meeting. It can also let you use shorter check-ins or avoid video when needed. These practical benefits often help people keep therapy consistent without reshaping their whole day.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
12+ years
Credentials
Wisconsin
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and grief. Additional focus areas include codependency, family problems, phobias, and sexual assault and abuse.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is respectful and practical. She listens first, then tailors conversations and plans to the client's needs.
How much experience does she have?
She has 12 years of professional work experience in counseling and related clinical roles.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Wisconsin and practices there.
Which languages are available for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What steps should I take to begin?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.