Before working with Valerie, I had grown deeply unsatisfied and even depressed about my work situation, feeling it was a dead-end. I wanted to take steps toward a new career, but I lacked confidence. Years of therapy never really enabled me to begin, and conduct, a full-on career search.
Working with Valerie, I became active about my career search in a way that I had never done before. She helped me identify my desires and strengths, and motivated me to stay on track searching and applying for jobs, even when my busy life got in the way. But her holistic approach went much deeper. Valerie created a safe space for me to identify the fears and beliefs holding me back, and work through them creatively so they didn’t stop me for long. Valerie’s capacity for empathy and non-judgment is enormous, and allowed me to make peace with the “negative” side of myself rather than ignoring it or trying to dispel it merely through willpower.
With Valerie’s encouragement and support, I stayed in the game and got a new job with better pay, better hours, opportunities for advancement, and a more supportive culture than I’ve ever had before.
In our work I’ve also discovered that there were marital problems which I had never really identified before; now I’m solving them, and communicating better than ever with my wife. I changed my whole way of listening non-defensively. Now I’m able to see and accept other’s point of view, and not take things personally. I’m emotionally connected with my wife, and instead of fighting or avoiding difficult conversations, we feel like we’re on the same team. We’re now dedicated to both of us getting our needs met, even if the solutions aren’t easy.
Valerie integrates many different modalities and teachings from a wide variety of sources. Anyone who works with her is bound to hit upon one or more techniques that feel safe and productive for him/her to work through whatever’s holding them back from achieving success in their career, lifestyle, relationship with themselves and others. I’m starting a new chapter at work and at home, and now I know I have the tools to be successful, wherever I go next.
-Kevin McDonnell