Valerie Herman
MSW-I
After earning a BS magna cum laude in Exercise Science and Nutrition, Valerie began her career at Zocdoc, where she has spent seven years in a fast-paced, high-pressure environment focused on improving access to healthcare. Through her work with providers and patients, she saw how difficult it can be to find support that truly aligns with individual needs. This experience, combined with her longstanding interest in health and wellbeing, led her to pursue a graduate degree in mental health, where she maintained a 4.0 GPA while working full-time.
Her clinical experience includes working with children, adolescents, and young adults at Playworks and JAIA, supporting social and emotional development through structured play and mentorship, and helping youth build communication, regulation, and interpersonal skills.
Despite, or perhaps because of, the demands of her clinical and professional work, Valerie prioritizes balance and self-care. She enjoys cooking, baking, skiing, hiking, painting, reading, and spending time with her husband, family, friends, and dog.
Approach & Values
Valerie takes a structured, collaborative approach to therapy focused on helping clients understand what is driving their thoughts, emotions, and behavior, and how to respond more effectively.
With younger clients, she uses play to support emotional expression and regulation. With adolescents and adults, she focuses on identifying patterns, building coping skills, and helping clients make clearer, more intentional habits and decisions.
Valerie is attentive to pacing and alignment in the work. She prioritizes understanding a client’s experience in their own words, and avoids pushing interventions that don’t feel relevant or useful. Her approach emphasizes consistency and follow-through so that insights translate into meaningful, sustained change.
Specialties:
- Anxiety, Stress Reactivity & Overwhelm
- Depression & Low Motivation
- Life Transitions & Identity Development
- Self-Esteem & Self-Concept
- Relationship Challenges & Communication
- Emotional Regulation, Coping Skills & Stress Management
- Children of Separation & Divorce
- Children, Adolescents & Young Adults
- Play-Based Therapy