Valerie Banda-Rodriguez, LCSW — Therapist in California

Hi there, I'm Valerie!

I have helped clients with mood, personality, and psychotic disorders, and I focus on teaching skills that help my clients heal from emotional pain and trauma.

My focus

I most commonly work with clients with mood and personality disorders, and I have a specialty in working with postpartum mood disorders.

My approach

Some of the most common therapeutic approaches I use in my practice are CBT, DBT, trauma-focused approaches, solution-focused approaches, family systems, art therapy techniques, and exposure therapy techniques.

My communication style

I strive to create a safe and comfortable environment with clients that promotes honesty, transparency, and healthy boundaries.

My journey to mental healthcare

The passion I have for social work started in childhood when I decided I wanted to help others to heal emotionally. I have experienced mental health challenges myself, and I feel that I can use my experiences to help others.

My goals for you

I usually discuss goals for treatment in the first and second sessions. I ask the client what it is they would like to work on/change in treatment, and utilize the SMART goals method to help establish clear goals that the client can look back on.

Our first session

After the initial intake/assessment, our first session will include the client giving an overview of what it is that brought them into treatment, discussing expectations for treatment, going over confidentiality/limitations, and seeing if the client feels this is a good fit thus far.

I identify as...

Female
Hispanic or Latinx
Christian

Expertise

Specialties

Anxiety

Depression

Mood Disorders

Pregnancy, Prenatal, Postpartum

Trauma and PTSD

Bipolar Disorder

Borderline Personality

+ 15 more

Treatment approaches

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

Dialectical (DBT)

Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)

Compassion Focused

Motivational Interviewing

Somatic

Trauma Focused

+ 7 more

Focus populations

First Generation American/Immigrant Parents

Single Mother

+ 2 more

Therapy types

Individual Therapy

Ages served

Adults

Practice

Accepted insurance providers

Sharp Health Plan
Aetna
All Savers
Allegiance
Allied

+ 55 more

Languages spoken

English, Spanish

Education

Master of Social Work (MSW) from Loma Linda University.

Sessions

60 minutes

Virtual sessions

Valerie Banda-Rodriguez