Valeria Wakil, RMFTI

Understanding Your Emotions, Strengthening Your Connections

Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern

Helping You Understand Your Patterns, Strengthen Your Relationships, and Feel More Connected

You Might be a good fit with Valeria if...

β™‘You and your partner keep having the same disagreements and struggle to feel heard or understood.

β™‘ You want to strengthen your relationship with your partner or family members but aren't sure how to reconnect.

β™‘ You have difficulty identifying, understanding, or expressing your emotions.

β™‘ You notice yourself repeating the same patterns in relationships and want to understand why.

β™‘ You're struggling with anxiety, grief, trauma, shame, or feelings of not being good enough.

β™‘ You feel disconnected from yourself or the people around you and want to build deeper, more meaningful connections.

β™‘ You're open to self-reflection, exploring uncomfortable emotions, and actively working toward change.

What therapy with me actually looks like

My approach to therapy is warm, collaborative, and centered around creating a safe and trusting relationship. I believe that meaningful change begins when you feel comfortable enough to explore your emotions, experiences, and the patterns that may be keeping you stuck.

I specialize in working with couples and adult families, but I also enjoy helping individuals who are struggling to understand their emotions, navigate relationship challenges, or make sense of what they're experiencing.

I believe that our struggles don't exist in isolation. The relationships, experiences, and environments we're part of all influence how we think, feel, and connect with others. That's why I approach therapy through a relational lens, helping you understand not only what's happening within yourself but also how your relationships may be shaping your experiences.

Our sessions will often begin by exploring what's going on in your life, what has and hasn't been working, and the patterns that continue to show up. As we build a stronger understanding of these challenges, our work becomes more experiential, allowing us to explore emotions and relationship dynamics as they arise in the room.

I draw from emotion-focused, experiential, somatic, and attachment-based approaches, along with other integrative therapeutic techniques, to tailor our sessions to your individual needs.

I believe therapy can involve difficult and uncomfortable emotions, but it can also include moments of humor, laughter, and genuine connection.

My goal is to help you better understand yourself, recognize the patterns that may be holding you back, and create healthier, more fulfilling relationships.

Things we can work on together

Relationship Patterns

Identifying recurring behaviors and understanding how past experiences influence current relationships

Couples & Relationship Challenges

Understanding recurring conflicts, improving emotional connection, and strengthening communication

Family Relationship

Exploring family dynamics, navigating conflict, and building healthier connections within adult families

Trauma & Shame

Understanding how difficult experiences shape your emotions, relationships, and sense of self

Anxiety

Exploring the emotions and underlying patterns contributing to worry and feeling overwhelmed

Emotional Awareness

Learning to recognize, understand, and express emotions more openly

Self-Esteem & Self-Concept

Developing a stronger sense of identity, self-worth, and emotional confidence

Get to know me beyond the therapy room

Outside of the therapy room, you'll usually find me listening to music while going for a walk, baking something new, or working on a crochet project. I also love getting lost in a long epic fantasy series and finding new hobbies that spark my creativity.

My favorite way to recharge is…

Listening to music is by far my favorite way to recharge, especially while walking, baking, or crocheting. That, and immersing myself in a really long epic fantasy series.

Something I wish more people knew about therapy is…

Honestly, it can be funny! I’ve had some fantastic laughs in session with my clients. Even though I’ll probably nudge us to feel things that are uncomfortable and difficult, therapy is not torturous (at least, it really doesn’t have to be). It can (and probably will) include a lot of moments of humor too. 

If I could give everyone one piece of advice, it would be…

Try a new hobby! I love hobbies and I think they’re underrated sometimes, even though the payoff is exceptional. They always make me feel happy and fulfilledβ€”a great antidote to the stress and overwhelm a lot of us struggle with.

Credentials and training

Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern

Specialized Training:

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

Systemic & Integrative Therapy

Experiential Therapy

Attachment-Based Approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

Mindfulness-Based Techniques

Fees, Insurance & Availability

Session Fee: $150 couples sessions/family sessions, $120 individual sessions

Insurance: Private pay only

Out-of-Network benefits: We can help you explore whether your insurance plan offers reimbursement for out-of-network therapy

Services Options: In-person or Virtual

Availability: Mon - Fri. 10am-6pm