Valerie LaPorte, LICSW

Valerie LaPorte is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) practicing in Minnesota with 21 years of professional experience. She brings a direct, approachable style and focuses on helping people handle everyday struggles like anxiety, depression, grief, and the stress of life changes.

Valerie typically uses clear, goal-oriented sessions where listening and practical problem solving come first. She aims to help people feel heard and to build steps toward manageable change. Her work includes addressing trauma, addictions, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting challenges, anger, and self-esteem concerns.

Across a long career she has supported people from many backgrounds and ages, including work with serious mental illness. She also has experience with issues such as abandonment, adoption and foster care matters, caregiver stress, body image, attachment concerns, blended family dynamics, and co-morbid conditions. This range informs how she tailors treatment to each person.

Her clinical approach draws on attachment-based ideas, client-centered work, cognitive behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior principles, and mindfulness practices. Valerie describes her style as empathetic and goal-directed, combining listening with concrete steps people can try between sessions.

Valerie is a Minnesota-licensed clinician and an approved licensing supervisor for the Minnesota Board of Social Work. She works in a way that aims to treat each person with dignity and respect while helping them move toward the goals they set.

Approaches that translate to online work

Attachment-based therapy focuses on how early relationships shape current patterns. It helps people notice relational habits and try new ways of connecting and trusting. Client-centered therapy centers the person's own goals and experience, with the therapist offering empathy and validation while the client guides the pace and focus. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and teaches practical skills to shift unhelpful patterns, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the client about their needs, goals, and preferences and then suggest which methods to try first. Plans are reviewed as work progresses so methods can be adjusted to what helps most.

Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into daily life, such as scheduling around work or caregiving obligations and reducing travel time. It can also allow shorter check-ins when needed or sessions that rely more on audio if bandwidth is limited. Confirm the current session options and formats before booking to be sure they match personal needs.