“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” ― Angela Y. Davis

You know where you’ve been, now let’s see where healing can take you!

Explore virtual support options for Individuals & Couples with CPTSD, ADHD, or AuDHD below.

Can you relate?

  • Socializing and minor tasks drain you, leaving you exhausted and self-isolating.

  • You overanalyze every interaction, worried that people dislike you.

  • You intellectualize and distract yourself from your feelings because they're overwhelming.

  • You tend to be hyper-independent, relying on yourself to avoid being a burden or disappointed.

  • Confronting people when they've hurt you or setting boundaries is still very hard for you.

  • Anything new added to your plate sends you into survival mode.

  • You go through long cycles of anxiety, burnout, and shutdown.

  • You're still very hypervigilant, waiting for the other shoe to drop and something to go wrong.

  • You struggle with allowing yourself to feel emotions and connect with your body.

  • You are your own worst critic, constantly beating yourself up and judging yourself.

  • You're the scapegoat/eldest child, and the cycle breaker, healing all the family trauma.

If any of that was a yes for you, I’m here to help…

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence. Not only can trauma be healed, but with appropriate guidance and support, it can be transformative.”

Peter A. Levine, PhD

Traditional talk therapy often fails those of us with complex trauma and neurodivergence. That's because trauma doesn't just affect our thinking; it's stored in our nervous system and changes the way our brain functions. We can't think our way through trauma, and if you've done talk therapy, you know, it only increased your ability to intellectualize and overanalyze everything. We have to heal through the body, reconnecting with physical sensations and emotions to understand how the subconscious interprets them. That's how we rewire our nervous system to change the perception of safety and actual threats.

Somatic Experiencing, IFS (Internal Family Systems), and Nervous System Regulation work together to heal the parts of you that were silenced and develop the capacity to not only feel, but reshape the way you see yourself, relate to others, and the world around you. This approach has literally saved and changed my life. It taught me to have self-compassion, navigate life's challenges, manage my emotional responses to them, develop conflict resolution skills, and create secure attachments with others.

And I'm so excited to share this work with you!

Individual Support

During our time together, we'll develop a few realistic goals and work toward them as we:

  • Address the stressors in your life that impact your ability to function and achieve your goals.

  • Develop self-compassion and self-trust.

  • Explore how your childhood, family line, and societal factors are impacting you now.

  • Learn to challenge your self-perception and societal norms to accept your full, authentic self.

  • Learn ways to cope and move forward with living with CPTSD as a neurodivergent human.

  • Work toward achieving your goals by addressing the fears blocking you.

  • Embrace all parts of yourself, regardless of anyone else.

  • Learn to say “No” without guilt.

  • Grieve what did and didn't happen to you

  • Welcome all your emotions and validate all your experiences.

This work goes deeper than talk therapy. I recommend doing sessions every 2-3 weeks to integrate, put homework into practice, and break the habit of trying to heal fast!

Session Rate: $125 /60 mins

*Sliding Scale and package rates are available upon request and based on availability.

Couples Support

Healthy relationships require commitment, trust, honesty, and willingness to grow with each other. This is truly where Somatics, IFS, & Nervous System Healing shine! I work with couples of all orientations & expressions, including poly/ENM. During our time together, I'll help you and your partner(s) develop a few realistic goals and work toward them as we:

  • Address outside stressors that impact your ability to connect.

  • Develop better communication strategies to help you set boundaries and meet each other’s needs.

  • Explore how your attachment trauma, CPTSD, & other relevant traumas are impacting your relationship.

  • Create co-regulation techniques and nervous system practices to support each other through challenging times.

  • Develop conflict resolution skills to help you fight better and resolve issues with more ease.

  • Navigate issues related to intimacy, body image, and gender identity/sexual orientation exploration.

  • Teach you how to support one another in healing childhood wounds with specialized couples IFS practices.

  • Create strategies to build more emotional, mental, and physical intimacy.

This work goes deeper than talk therapy. I recommend doing sessions every 2-3 weeks, so you and your partner(s) have time to integrate the tools and homework practices we create.

Couples Session Rate: $150/60 minutes

My Vibe and Approach

  • Solution-focused: During our consultation, we’ll create some realistic goals for our work together. Each session, we'll develop strategies and practical coping skills to help you achieve them.

  • Sustainable Healing: Changing old patterns and navigating trauma responses isn't always comfortable. It's my #1 priority to minimize the risk of retraumatizing you by going at a safe pace & letting you lead the way.

  • Experiential: Based on your feedback, feelings, and body signals, we'll find the best practices for you. But I will gently call you out when I notice you're resisting, holding back, or not speaking up.

  • Heal the Root Causes: What I'm most known for is connecting the dots between current issues, past traumas, and repeated habits. I'll shed light on hidden traumas still impacting you to help you overcome their triggers.

  • Affirming: Every part of your lived experience affects you. That includes your racial, ethnic, religious, cultural background, nationality, lineage, sexual orientation, gender identity, relationship history, ability, social connections, socioeconomic status, etc., along with how current events may be impacting you.

  • Collaborative: I’m not the expert on you. My goal is to help you listen to your body's signals and start trusting yourself, your opinions, and your emotions, and feel safe expressing them!

  • Quick & Dirty Tools: I know you’re busy AF and hate doing boring, tedious things (SAME). So, the homework practices I'll give you will be short (5-10 minutes max) but effective.

  • Real Talk & Laughs: I'm not perfect, and I don't expect you to be either. You get to show up as your real, messy, unfiltered self. I welcome tears, anger, dark humor, silliness, good days, bad days, and everything in between.

Client Success Stories

  • Hélène

    "I can’t say enough about Valerie’s approach. She’s the first coach I’ve worked with who sees and supports me for who I am. Her guidance is rooted in care and practicality, creating change that doesn’t overwhelm but truly lasts. Working with her feels safe, grounded, and aligned with my pace and my values. This work has transformed how I show up for myself in ways I never thought possible."

  • Janet Thomas

    "Working with Valerie was such a blessing. She helped me find myself again but more than that, because I processed shame and guilt that wasn't mine to carry. I learned to prioritize myself, which truly improves other relationships. I have confidence now, I'm much more sure of myself and she gave me tools to use as situations happen that are hard. I recommend Valerie to anyone who wants to change their lives in the best way possible. Well worth the investment.”

  • Yanique

    "Valerie is thoughtful, authentic, and so attuned to her clients—I even recommended her to a close friend. In our sessions, I felt completely supported and safe, even when I was feeling resistant. One particular session with my inner child opened the door to profound healing, which I still draw on today. My compassion has deepened, and I’ve developed healthier boundaries and a stronger sense of ease in my relationships. I’m so grateful for our time together, Valerie!"

  • Mariah

    "In therapy, I used to intellectualize my issues, trying to 'fix' myself through understanding my past. With Valerie, I learned self-acceptance, tuning into my mind and body to make mindful decisions in the present. Her coaching encouraged me to connect with my own intuition and inner guidance. Even the voice notes we shared helped me celebrate my wins and get unstuck when I needed it. Therapy helped with surface-level understanding, but working with Valerie brought me to a place of self-trust and clarity. I’m perpetually grateful for the growth I’ve achieved with her."

  • Nadia

    "I would wholeheartedly recommend Valerie Schrader. She takes a truly unique approach, focusing on your intuitive pace and creating sustainable success, rather than pushing quick, one-size-fits-all solutions. Her guidance is practical and trauma-informed, with a gentleness that works with your nervous system, not against it. She’s honest, caring, and truly invested in your long-term well-being—unlike any other coach I’ve encountered. Working with Valerie has been a game-changer, and I can’t recommend her enough."

  • Kate

    "I’ve made more progress in 12 weeks with Valerie than in a lifetime of traditional therapy. Valerie’s coaching style is direct, no-nonsense, and spot-on. She’s helped me understand my relationship with my family and uncover how generational trauma shaped my life. With her help, I’ve started to unwind these patterns, and my relationship with my mom has improved significantly. Having a coach who is both kind and clear has been incredibly powerful for my growth."

  • Gina Catherine

    "I’ve worked with many wonderful coaches over the years, but Valerie’s approach allowed me to experience breakthroughs I hadn't achieved elsewhere. Valerie’s vast experience and her unwavering nonjudgmental support made it possible for me to open up deeply, without fear. She was so tuned into me during our sessions that I felt completely seen and safe. Her intuitive, unscripted approach led me exactly where I needed to go. This has had a huge impact on my growth, and I’m so grateful for our work together."

 FAQs

  • Sessions are online via Zoom, and I offer them Monday - Thursday, 11am - 7pm EST.

  • I love offering online support because it gives you the convenience of showing up wherever you are in the world. Everything is still confidential on my end (my cat Nadja will most likely be curled up nearby). I get not everyone is into virtual sessions, but it does also mean you can get as cozy as you want while moving through the deep shit. Which means if you wanna show up in your PJs with snacks, I fully support that!

  • Not exactly. Therapy often focuses on processing the past solely through talking. Somatic trauma therapy and coaching focuses on where you are now and where you want to go, addressing the past only as needed to move forward. It also focuses on body-based practices along with verbal processing.

    This isn’t a substitute for prescribed medications or necessary medical treatment. It’s a great addition to your current care or next step if you’ve completed care.

  • That’s different for every person. People can start to notice changes in their awareness and ability to manage their emotional states within 3 to 5 sessions. But again, that’s all dependent on your unique experience, what’s going on in your life, where you’re at in your journey, and more.

  • I work strictly with adults, 18+ through individual or couples sessions.

  • Hell yes, I am! I welcome all sexual orientations, gender identities, and lived experiences. I’m also a part of the community (omnisexual)🌈

  • No! Most of my clients are in the US and Canada, but I work with clients all over the world.

  • I don’t and I also don’t offer diagnosis (sometimes a huge plus), but I do offer sliding scale payments to meet financial needs. We can discuss this during our consultation.

  • You can pay by session or purchase sessions in a package of 6 or 12 sessions via payment plan. All major credit cards are accepted through my HIPPA compliant scheduling platform.

    Payment is made at the time of booking, whether you book with me at the end of a session or yourself.

    Payment plans is set to autopay on the same day each month until it's fully paid off. Once paid off, the payment plan will auto cancel.

  • I require 24-hours’ notice to cancel sessions without loss of session fee, otherwise you will be charged a full session fee for missed, no-show, or a late-canceled sessions.

    If there’s a medical emergency or other significant issue, it’s at my discretion to reschedule without losing the session fee.

  • I understand plans can change. Single sessions and any payments already made on a payment plan are not refundable.

    If you are experiencing hardship or a significant life change that will make further payments on a payment plan difficult, please reach out at least 5 business days before your next payment to discuss.