Valerie Rutherford, LISW

Valerie Rutherford is a Licensed Independent Social Worker (LISW) in Ohio with 18 years of experience in mental health. She focuses on practical support for common struggles like anxiety, depression, stress, and relationship concerns. Valerie aims to make the first step feel manageable for people who are worried or unsure about therapy.

Valerie works with adults, adolescents, and children, and has experience with couples and families. Her practice centers on helping people cope with life changes, parenting pressures, and issues like addiction, grief, and trauma. She also supports those dealing with body image, eating concerns, ADHD, and compassion fatigue.

Her style is collaborative and client-centered. Valerie creates a warm, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk through what feels hardest. Sessions focus on clear goals and tools that can be used between meetings.

She draws on approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing to match interventions to each person’s needs. Valerie tailors techniques so they fit daily life and real-world challenges.

If you prefer, Valerie will work with you to choose strategies that match your values and routines. She encourages practical steps and small changes that add up over time. To begin, follow the Start Therapy process and schedule based on availability.

Therapeutic approaches and what online work looks like

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify what matters most to them and take action toward those values despite difficult thoughts and feelings. It often helps with anxiety, depression, and trouble making life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on noticing unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical behavioral experiments to reduce symptoms and improve daily routines. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers skills for managing intense emotions, improving relationships, and handling crises more effectively.

Choosing an approach is a team effort. Valerie will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t worked in the past. Then she will suggest methods and adjust them over time so the work fits the client’s needs and life.

Confirm current session options before booking, as formats are set per therapist. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when time is limited, and reduce the need for travel. It also lets people try tools and techniques in the settings where challenges happen most. Licensed professionals can adapt interventions used in person to remote sessions so progress continues even when schedules are tight.