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VM Portrait of Valerie Monteiro

Valerie Monteiro

Calm, practical support for relationships and life changes

ACA Australia

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

About Valerie

Valerie Monteiro is an ACA counsellor with 21 years of clinical experience who works with people facing stress, anxiety, grief and relationship strain. She blends relationship-focused work with somatic and life coaching sensibilities to help people find steadier footing.

Background and approach

Valerie speaks English and Hindi and works with individuals seeking clearer thinking and stronger connection. Clients meet a practitioner who prefers straightforward, steady conversations.

Sessions are practical and paced to the person in front of her. Valerie listens for patterns in feeling and behaviour, then helps people try small changes that feel manageable.

Her background includes long-term work with trauma, depression and loss, and a focus on intimacy-related issues and communication problems. Valerie also supports people dealing with chronic illness, cancer, first responder stress and compassion fatigue.

She draws on relationship-centred methods as well as cognitive and acceptance-based strategies. Therapy often includes learning new ways to notice thoughts and feelings, practising different ways of talking with a partner, and grounding the body when memories or anxiety feel overwhelming.

Sessions can include coaching-style goal setting when someone wants clearer next steps for work or life changes. Valerie aims to make the process collaborative.

She helps people shape a plan that fits their goals and day-to-day life. Taking that first step is honoured and met with direct, compassionate guidance.

Therapeutic approaches for relationships and everyday life

Valerie commonly uses the Gottman Method to focus on communication patterns and rebuild emotional connection in close relationships. This approach looks at how couples speak, listen and solve problems and offers practical exercises to change those habits.

She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - ACT - which helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and commit to actions that match their values. ACT is useful for anxiety, depression and life transitions where someone wants clearer direction. Client-Centred Therapy is part of her way of working too, offering a respectful, listening-first stance that lets a person lead what matters most.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Valerie will discuss options and tailor sessions to a person's goals, needs and preferences rather than sticking rigidly to one method. She helps clients try different tools and keeps adjusting the plan as things change.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face conversation and shared exercises, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and messaging supports brief check-ins or ongoing coaching between sessions. These formats make therapy more flexible for work, family and medical commitments.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she help with?
Valerie helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, grief and trauma. She also works on relationship and intimacy issues, communication problems and parenting-related strain.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Her style is direct, compassionate and practical. Conversations combine emotional listening with actionable steps and somatic awareness.
What experience does she bring?
She has 21 years of clinical experience working across trauma, mood concerns and relationships. That background informs both short-term and longer-term work.
What credentials and region apply?
Valerie is listed with the Australian Counselling Association as an ACA counsellor and practises in Australia.
In which languages can sessions be held?
Sessions are offered in English and Hindi.
What session formats are available?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat and text-based messaging to suit different needs and schedules.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and therapist arrangements; sessions use a subscription model that can be cancelled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, then schedule according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseGriefDepression

Also works with

Family conflictsIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

Attachment issuesBlended family issuesCancerChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameHoardingHospice and end-of-life counsellingImmigration issuesInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPersonality disordersPhobiasPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSelf-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Client-Centred TherapyCognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)Gottman MethodHypnotherapyImago Relationship TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

21+ years

Registered with

ACA

Languages

English, Hindi