Valerie LaPorte, LICSW

Valerie LaPorte is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Minnesota with 21 years of professional experience. She has worked extensively in clinical settings and has served as a Minnesota Board of Social Work approved clinical and non-clinical licensing supervisor. Her work covers a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, addictions, relationship and family difficulties, and codependency-related struggles.

Valerie often meets people who feel overwhelmed by caregiving, people-pleasing, or constant worry. She focuses on concrete goals and practical steps. Sessions emphasize listening, problem solving, and developing strategies that fit everyday life.

Her background includes long-term work with individuals who have serious mental illness and with clients across the age span. That clinical history informs how she balances symptom management with life goals. Valerie draws on several evidence-based methods to address mood, coping, and relationship patterns.

In session she uses an approach that centers the client's strengths and immediate needs. Cognitive-behavioral tools are used to change unhelpful thinking and behavior. Attachment-based ideas help when relationships and closeness are part of the struggle.

She also includes practical skills from dialectical behavior therapy and mindfulness practices to manage intense emotions and improve day-to-day functioning. People who come because they keep putting others first often leave with clearer boundaries, better communication skills, and concrete plans for change.

Approach-driven online sessions and what to expect