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VM Portrait of Dr. Valerie McGaha

Dr. Valerie McGaha

Compassionate counselor for stress and recovery

LPC Oklahoma

Experience
21 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Addictions, Relationship
Approaches
Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Languages
English
Continue with Valerie

About Valerie

Dr. Valerie McGaha is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with 21 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and addictions.

Background and approach

She aims to make therapy straightforward and practical so people can find relief and move toward what matters to them. She looks for the stuck points that keep daily life from feeling manageable.

Sessions focus on clear goals, building self-compassion, and learning skills that can be used between meetings. She also helps people facing relationship and family challenges, communication problems, and the long road of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction.

Dr. McGaha blends evidence-based approaches to match each person’s needs.

She draws on methods such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Attachment-Based work, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address mood, anxiety, and relationship concerns. Gottman Method ideas inform her thinking about relationship interactions when those issues come up.

She has experience supporting people through complex trauma, grief, and medical challenges such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. Other focus areas include abandonment, attachment issues, hoarding, and difficulties tied to family of origin or blended family life.

Dr. McGaha offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging for flexible care.

Sessions are offered in English and her practice is based in Oklahoma.

Approaches that guide online work

Dr. McGaha uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to help people clarify values and take small actions that align with those values. ACT emphasizes accepting difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to meaningful behavior changes, which can help with anxiety, depression, and motivation.

She also uses Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. This approach helps people improve awareness of attachment reactions and build more supported ways of relating, which is useful for relationship and family concerns.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. She works collaboratively with each person to choose methods that fit their goals, needs, and preferences. Together they adjust techniques and pacing as progress is made.

Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make care more flexible. Video calls are good for face-to-face conversation and longer work, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and chat or text can fit quick check-ins or brief reflections between sessions. These options let people schedule therapy around work, caregiving, or other commitments.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Dr. McGaha address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, relationship and family difficulties. Additional areas include attachment issues, hoarding, grief related to illness, and communication problems.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her approach is practical and collaborative. She focuses on clear goals, building self-compassion, and teaching skills people can use between sessions.
What is her professional background?
She has 21 years of clinical experience working with mood, trauma, and substance-related concerns. Her work includes intervention and support around suicidal behavior and postvention.
Where is Dr. McGaha located and licensed?
She practices in Oklahoma and holds an Oklahoma Licensed Professional Counselor credential, listed as LPC.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English. International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I start working with her?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyAddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsDepression

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAntisocial personalityAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCancerCommunication problemsDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameHIV / AIDSHoardingHospice and end-of-life counselingImmigration issuesInfidelityJealousyMen's issuesVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersMulticultural concernsParanoiaPersonality disordersPostpartum depressionPrejudice and discriminationProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSex addictionSexual assault and abuseSexual dysfunctionWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Existential TherapyEye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingNarrative TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

21+ years

Licensed in

Oklahoma

Languages

English