- Client-centered care
- Cognitive-behavioral tools
- Trauma-informed support
About Valerie
Valerie Keller Gates is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Oklahoma who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, grief, depression, and life changes. She works with adults on issues like parenting, intimacy concerns, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and patterns such as codependency. Valerie aims to create a straightforward, honest space where people can talk about hard things and start to untangle them.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Family Studies and Gerontology from Southern Nazarene University and a Master of Human Relations with an emphasis in Licensed Professional Counseling from the University of Oklahoma. Over seven years she has worked with individuals, families, and groups across a range of concerns from mild to severe mental illness to trauma, addiction with dual diagnosis, and behavioral problems.
Valerie adapts her style to each person and often uses a client-centered approach that starts where the person is now. She also blends cognitive-behavioral ideas and other methods to build practical, step-by-step plans for change. Sessions tend to focus on clear goals, skills to manage symptoms, and ways to improve communication and relationships.
She brings candid, caring presence into sessions and asks direct questions when needed. That straightforward manner is meant to help people feel safer being honest and working through shame, guilt, or painful memories. Treatment plans are personalized to match each person’s needs and pace.
Valerie emphasizes respect and compassion while helping people set realistic goals. Her work often addresses family dynamics, blended family issues, forgiveness, money and financial concerns, obsessions and compulsions, and multicultural challenges.
How Valerie’s Approaches Translate to Online Work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a trusting relationship. It involves reflective listening and patient pacing so people feel understood before moving forward. This approach helps with low self-esteem, family conflict, and major life transitions.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Sessions often include small experiments, homework, and step-by-step plans to manage anxiety, depression, and mood swings. EMDR is used to process traumatic memories by combining focused attention with guided bilateral stimulation to reduce the intensity of painful memories and reactions.
Choosing a therapeutic approach is part of the process. The therapist will work with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and comfort level. That decision is collaborative and can shift as needs change.
Confirm the current session formats before booking since specific online options are not listed in this biography. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Many people find it simpler to keep regular weekly work on skills and communication when sessions fit around their schedule.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
7+ years
Credentials
Oklahoma
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist address?
Valerie works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, grief, depression, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, parenting challenges, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and codependency.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her approach is client-centered and practical. She blends cognitive-behavioral strategies with other methods to set clear goals and build skills over time.
What is her background and experience?
She has seven years of experience and has worked with individuals, families, and groups across issues from mild to severe mental illness to addiction with dual diagnosis and trauma.
What credentials does she hold and where is she based?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) licensed in Oklahoma and completed graduate study in Licensed Professional Counseling at the University of Oklahoma.
In what languages can sessions be held?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients supported?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.