Valerie Sommer

Valerie Sommer, MS is a registered Psychological Associate (#94029037) under the supervision of Dr. Kelly Kazmierski (PSY33280). Currently a fourth-year doctoral candidate at the University of La Verne, Valerie has completed two years of supervised clinical practice, providing care to children, adolescents, and adults. Valerie’s research focuses on issues relevant to young adults and adolescents, including the psychological impacts of social media, the relationship between sexual trauma and sexual functioning, and the treatment preferences of youth living with chronic illness.

In her clinical work, Valerie helps adult and adolescent clients clarify and pursue the lives they wish to lead, emphasizing meaning, purpose, and personal values. Valerie collaborates with clients to help them reduce barriers and enhance skills in service of those goals. She takes a culturally sensitive, trauma-informed approach and draws on evidence-based interventions such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help clients address a wide spectrum of emotional and psychological difficulties, including depression, anxiety, relationship distress, and trauma and stress-related disorders.