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[she/her]
Therapist
Vice President & Co-Founder at coeo
Collegeville, PA and Virtually
Oh hey, welcome. I'm Colleen. By day, I'm a counselor and industrial-organizational psychologist. By night, a human trying to figuring out how to be more whole. I love connecting with humans, connecting good humans, and connecting humans back to themselves. I don't have all the answers, but I'm perpetually curious and believe that right questions matter more than perfect answers.
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Candidly, for most of my life, people would not have described me as "one who was in touch with her emotions." And the idea of me being a therapist who was trained to help others do just that was admittedly laughable. Emotions felt like a distraction, especially the ones that derailed me, so I figured out a pretty dang effective way to avoid them. It worked. Until it didn't. And then I had to do some things differently. Screw some things up. Slow some things down. Invest in relationships. And learn that having emotions didn't make me less human. Wild.
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All this to say, therapy with me is honest, collaborative, and pretty bullshit-free. I care, but I don’t coddle. My job isn't to make you immediately feel better; it's to sit with you in the hard stuff. To help you get curious about what your emotions are trying to tell you, and how to respond without spiraling. And while we have an incredible capacity for growth, none of it happens without getting uncomfortable. Also laughter. Because I think humor is the shortest distance between pain and perspective.
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When I am not therapizing others, you will find me attempting to convince my family members and friends to complete house renovation projects with me (sauna in the basement anyone?), watching Stinky and Dirty with our four-year-old son, trying not to overwater my plants, or planning my next snowboarding trip out west.
MS, MSP, Pre-LPC
Colleen Valerio
Ready to get started?
Book a session with Colleen using the link below.
SPECIALTIES
Young Adults & College Students
Adults
Lost Souls Seeking Answers
LGBTQI+ Community​​
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Identity Exploration
ADHD Management
Mood Disorders (anxiety, depression, bipolar)
Eating Disorders
Drug & Alcohol Recovery
Finance & Budget Concerns
Career Transitions
Relationship Concerns
IN THEORY
From a theoretical perspective, I draw on elements of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), and Humanistic Therapy.
But as I've grown as a human and a practitioner, my approach has evolved beyond rigid frameworks. While rooted in clinical theory, it’s become something more integrative, and more philosophical. I believe that healing happens relationally, and that theory is only useful if it helps you better understand yourself and your world. Because honestly, lived experiences will always be our greatest teacher, far beyond what any textbook theory could offer. So while I'll absolutely draw on proven methods when they're helpful, I'm sure has heck not going to let some framework dictate our entire process.
IN PRACTICE
​My approach to therapy is best captured by the timeless lyricist, Vanilla Ice, “if there is a problem, yo, I'll solve it.” While I will not rap during our session (you're welcome), I will bring my full self to our work together. I'm inherently curious and have learned through my own journey that I know enough to know that I actually know absolutely nothing at all. Frankly, I'm barely an expert in my own life, so I'm definitely not going to pretend to be one in yours. What I am good at is meeting you exactly where you are and helping you navigate life's chaos with adaptability, realness, and bad, but punny jokes.​