Dr. Elena Felipe-Valera

Dr. Elena Felipe-Valera helps people manage stress, anxiety, grief, trauma, relationship struggles, and major life changes. She supports concerns related to LGBT issues, intimacy, anger, self-esteem, career shifts, depression, compassion fatigue, and ADHD. Elena provides straightforward guidance so people can move toward a steadier, more balanced life.

She brings 23 years of clinical experience as an LCSW. Her work blends practical conversations with targeted therapeutic methods. Sessions focus on identifying what is most pressing, building skills to cope, and finding steps that feel doable in daily life.

Elena uses client-centered approaches that follow each person’s pace. She also incorporates EMDR for processing traumatic memories, and narrative and solution-focused methods to rewrite unhelpful stories and set clear goals. This mix is aimed at both immediate relief and longer-term change.

Her background includes supporting people affected by chronic illness, caregiver stress, first responder challenges, hospice and end-of-life concerns, and disaster-related distress. She also addresses life-stage issues such as midlife shifts and questions about life purpose.

Sessions are offered in English and Spanish, and she accepts international clients. People interested in beginning therapy are invited to use the Start Therapy button to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule according to the therapist’s availability.

How her approaches translate to online work

Client-Centered Therapy centers the person’s concerns and choices. In practice this means conversations focused on immediate needs, exploring options, and setting small steps that feel doable. It helps when someone wants a supportive, nonjudgmental space to sort priorities.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, known as EMDR, is used to process troubling memories that continue to cause distress. In sessions this often involves focused attention on a memory while tracking bilateral stimulation to reduce the memory’s emotional intensity. It is commonly used for trauma-related symptoms and post-traumatic stress.

Narrative Therapy helps people reframe and rewrite the stories they tell about themselves. It can be useful for shifting negative self-beliefs, changing patterns in relationships, and clarifying life purpose.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about their goals and preferences, try approaches that fit those aims, and adjust the plan together as progress is made.

The original biography does not list specific online session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy days, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can adapt EMDR and narrative or client-centered work to remote formats when appropriate, and this flexibility often helps people maintain consistent care.