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- 30 years experience
- LMHC in Florida
- Team-based approach
About Valerie
Valerie Johnson-Cardoso is a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with three decades of practice experience. She offers calm, steady support for people facing stress, anxiety, trauma, addiction, parenting strain, mood concerns, and issues tied to identity and relationships. Her approach is practical and team-based; she works with clients to find small, doable changes that ease daily life.
Valerie spent much of her career in Florida and Pennsylvania. She has worked in residential mental health and substance abuse settings. She also taught for 16 years, supporting students with learning differences, autism, emotional challenges, and developmental delays. During that time she ran a private practice in evenings and weekends and provided care in homes and day treatment programs.
Her clinical work addresses a wide range of concerns. These include grief, eating and body image issues, anger, compassion fatigue, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and intimacy-related problems. She also notes experience with abandonment, attachment issues, blended family dynamics, caregiving stress, and religious trauma and faith transitions.
Valerie draws on approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), and client-centered methods. She focuses on helping people notice patterns, try manageable changes, and build more helpful responses to life’s challenges.
Her stated goals are to build trust and create a nonjudgmental space for people to express their feelings. She emphasizes teamwork with clients and the gradual work of changing self-criticism into more supportive self-care.
Valerie spent much of her career in Florida and Pennsylvania. She has worked in residential mental health and substance abuse settings. She also taught for 16 years, supporting students with learning differences, autism, emotional challenges, and developmental delays. During that time she ran a private practice in evenings and weekends and provided care in homes and day treatment programs.
Her clinical work addresses a wide range of concerns. These include grief, eating and body image issues, anger, compassion fatigue, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and intimacy-related problems. She also notes experience with abandonment, attachment issues, blended family dynamics, caregiving stress, and religious trauma and faith transitions.
Valerie draws on approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT), and client-centered methods. She focuses on helping people notice patterns, try manageable changes, and build more helpful responses to life’s challenges.
Her stated goals are to build trust and create a nonjudgmental space for people to express their feelings. She emphasizes teamwork with clients and the gradual work of changing self-criticism into more supportive self-care.
Part 2 of 4
Approaches that guide online work
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck. It focuses on values and small committed actions that move life in a meaningful direction. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on emotions and attachment to help people understand and shift core relationship and intimacy patterns.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to figure out which methods match their needs, goals, and preferences. That decision can change over time as progress is made and new issues come up.
The original biography does not specify which online session formats are offered, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example scheduling shorter check-ins during a lunch break, avoiding travel time, or choosing audio if bandwidth is limited. Licensed professionals can deliver ACT, CBT, or EFT skills and exercises in remote sessions, helping clients practice tools between meetings and track small changes over time.
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Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Family conflictsTrauma and abuseGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCancerCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)Divorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEating and food-related issuesEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImpulsivityInfidelityIntellectual disabilityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMoney and financial issuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPregnancy and childbirthPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexualitySmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaTraumatic brain injuryWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyHypnotherapyImago Relationship TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
30+ years
Credentials
Florida
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Valerie address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, eating and body image concerns, parenting strain, ADHD, bipolar issues, and other life changes.
What is her therapy style like?
Valerie uses a team approach and practical strategies. Sessions focus on noticing patterns, testing small changes, and building new ways to respond to difficult feelings.
What is her background with different populations?
She has worked for 30 years in residential mental health and substance abuse settings and as a teacher for students with learning differences, autism, and developmental delays.
Which credential does she hold and where is she based?
She is a licensed mental health counselor - LMHC - and works in Florida, with past practice experience in Pennsylvania.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.