Valerie Johnson-Cardoso, LMHC
Florida · 30 years in practice
Valerie Johnson-Cardoso is a licensed mental health counselor with three decades of experience.
License and registration
- LMHC, Florida
- MH5690 · expires March 2027
- NPI
- 1194098004 · national provider identifier
- Years in practice
- 30
- Languages
- English
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check the license with the issuing state board, and the NPI with the national registry.
About Valerie
Valerie Johnson-Cardoso is a licensed mental health counselor with three decades of experience. She speaks directly and calmly to people feeling overwhelmed by stress, anxiety, addiction, grief, or life changes. Valerie aims to create a straightforward space where clients can talk without judgment and begin small, practical steps toward feeling steadier.
She has worked in Florida and Pennsylvania across residential mental health and substance abuse settings. Valerie also spent 16 years as a school teacher supporting students with learning differences, autism, and emotional challenges.
Background and approach
During that time she maintained a independent practice in evenings and weekends, working with people of many ages. Valerie brings a variety of methods to sessions, including hypnotherapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, client-centered approaches, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy. She prefers simple, clear work that helps people change behaviors and manage difficult feelings.
Sessions focus on identifying realistic steps and practicing skills between meetings. Her background includes experience with religious trauma and faith transitions, plus work with people facing relationship strain, parenting stress, body image concerns, and compassion fatigue. She also addresses issues such as ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, eating struggles, and intimacy-related problems.
Valerie emphasizes teamwork in therapy. She helps clients notice unhelpful self-criticism, practice self-compassion, and build trust so they can speak openly. The goal is steady, manageable change rather than quick fixes.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Valerie lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Relationship issues
- Depression
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- HIV / AIDS
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Personality disorders
- Phobias
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Traumatic brain injury
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Valerie names
- Hypnotherapy
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Existential Therapy
- Imago Relationship Therapy
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Approaches that translate to online therapy
Hypnotherapy can help people access relaxed focus to work through habits, strong emotions, and coping patterns. It often combines guided imagery and calm attention to support behavior change and emotion regulation. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, helps people notice inner thoughts without fighting them and choose small actions that match their values. ACT is useful for anxiety, stress, and life transitions. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening without judgment and building a trusting relationship so clients can find their own solutions; it works well when someone needs emotional support and clarity.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will collaborate with each person to pick or blend methods that fit their goals, comfort level, and what feels most useful in day-to-day life. This is an ongoing conversation rather than a one-time decision.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier with limited bandwidth or for a quick check-in. Live chat and messaging let people fit brief sessions into a busy day or continue work between meetings. These options help people keep therapy consistent around work, family, and travel.
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Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns can be addressed?
Valerie works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma and grief. She also supports people with relationship strain, parenting stress, body image and career concerns.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses a practical, team-based approach that focuses on small, doable changes. Sessions emphasize clear skills, behavior changes, and reducing harsh self-criticism.
How much experience does she have?
Valerie has 30 years of experience in mental health settings, including residential treatment and a long-running independent practice alongside teaching work.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is a Florida licensed mental health counselor - LMHC - and practices from Florida while having previous experience in Pennsylvania.
Which languages and international options are available?
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients.
What session formats are offered?
Therapy is available via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does pricing work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions based on therapist availability.
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