- Attachment issues
- Mindfulness practice
- Cognitive behavioral work
About Valerie
Valerie Farrell is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in New York with 28 years of experience. She works with adults managing stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and provides coaching around life transitions and coping skills. Valerie approaches problems that involve abandonment, attachment, body image, chronic illness, caregiver strain, and related struggles that feed guilt or shame.
Her work is grounded in listening first and helping people name what is contributing to their distress. She uses client-centered conversations alongside cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques to create practical steps. Sessions often include looking at how early attachment and relationship patterns affect current choices and feelings.
Valerie draws on motivational interviewing to support change when substance use or sticking points come up. She also uses psychodynamic ideas to help people see recurring patterns that leave them feeling blamed or stuck. Treatment plans focus on realistic actions and small experiments people can try between sessions.
When grief, illness, or loss are present, she combines emotion-focused attention with coping strategies to manage day-to-day demands. Valerie pays attention to how illness, aging, and caregiving affect identity and choices over time. She also addresses eating and body image concerns with practical behavioral steps.
People who reach out can expect clear, direct conversation and a focus on what needs to change now. Before booking, confirm the current session formats offered. Valerie works in English and practices in New York.
How her approaches translate to online sessions
Valerie uses attachment-based work to look at how early relationships shape current shame and connection. This approach helps people notice patterns in how they relate to others and to themselves, which can be important when guilt or shame keeps recurring.She also uses client-centered methods that keep the conversation focused on what the person wants to change. That means sessions are driven by the client's priorities and paced to match real-life goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy is used to identify unhelpful thoughts and try small behavioral experiments to test different outcomes.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Valerie will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and will adjust techniques as they learn what helps. That conversation is collaborative and practical rather than prescriptive.
Session formats are not specified here, so confirm the current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow quicker check-ins when needed. They also make it possible to keep consistent momentum during periods of illness, caregiving, or frequent schedule changes.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
28+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to guilt and shame?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, and related areas such as abandonment and attachment that can fuel guilt and shame.
How does she approach therapy for shame?
Her style is client-centered and direct, using cognitive behavioral and mindfulness techniques alongside attachment-focused work to name patterns and try practical changes.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 28 years of experience as a social work clinician helping people with substance use, trauma, grief, chronic illness, and related concerns.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in New York.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the US work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What is the cost structure for sessions?
Fees vary with location; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I arrange an initial session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.