You envisioned a beautiful journey into motherhood with the pregnancy glow, the excitement, and the joy of a healthy baby. They all say it's supposed to be that way. But maybe your experience was different. Maybe it was marked by unexpected hardship, or perhaps everything appears fine to others, yet you still feel alone, overwhelmed, or even unhappy. The transition into motherhood can be beautiful, but it can also feel isolating, confusing, or more difficult than you ever imagined.
Life can take turns you never saw coming. One day, you're focused on your future, and the next, you're facing the unimaginable, like learning thatyour parent has terminal cancer in your 20s. While your friends are building their careers or planning weddings, you’re navigating an impossible reality, trying to stay afloat while preparing for something that feels unfair and unrelatable.
Grief
Ecotherapy
Trauma
New Motherhood
Grief doesn’t always follow a clear path. You might have lost a parent years ago, yet the feelings still linger as unfinished and unresolved. Maybe you wish you had one more conversation, one more moment of closure. You long to reach out but wonder if that’s even possible, or if anyone else
would understand.
Cultivate Emotional Wellbeing and a Fuller Life
Want to learn more? Want to start your journey toward feeling better today?
I specialize in working with people who feel this way -- those struggling
with complex trauma and relational trauma, who have spent years feeling
like something is wrong but can’t quite put their finger on it. If
traditional therapy hasn’t worked for you, it’s not because you’re beyond
help -- it’s because trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind, and
healing requires a deeper, more holistic approach.
I’m a therapist specializing in grief, particularly for young adults who
have lost one or both parents. I also work with new mothers navigating the
transition into motherhood, helping them find balance, connection, and
healing in a stage of life that can feel both cheerful and overwhelming.
I offer therapy that goes beyond conventional methods. As a certified EMDR, IADC and forest therapy practitioner, I take a holistic, evidence-based approach to healing. My work is deeply rooted in nature-based healing,
incorporating the restorative power of the earth to help you process grief, ease anxiety, and reconnect with yourself. Whether you're seeking support in loss, motherhood, trauma, or simply finding your way forward, I’m here to help.
Valerie Smith, LCSW, CFTG, is the one and only clinician in Hudson Valley certified in both Induced After Death Communication (IADC) and forest therapy, making her a unique, highly sought-after provider for those seeking holistic, spiritually-integrated healing.
She is also the "Orphaned Young Adults" Therapist.
Her approach is truly unparalleled.
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Valerie SmithLearn MoreMeet Valerie Smith, LCSW, CFTG, a trailblazing clinician in the Hudson Valley and the region’s only provider certified in both Induced After Death Communication (IADC) and ecotherapy. Valerie has a rare gift for recognizing what lies beneath the “problems” to explore the story — the unspoken grief, the disconnection, the lingering pain — and guiding her clients toward profound, soulful healing. Known affectionately as The Orphaned Young Adults Therapist, she offers a truly distinctive approach that blends clinical expertise with spiritual depth and compassion.
Contact Me
Providing virtual services throughout New York State and in-person forest therapy in the Putnam, Dutchess and Upper Westchester areas