Valerie earned her Masters Degree as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Clarkson College, Omaha NE. Post graduate studies were completed at MU School of Nursing where she received specialized training as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Valerie is Board Certified by the American Nurses Credentialing Center as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She is Certified as an EAGALA, Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Mental Health Professional, and utilizes that training on seasonal basis working with patients of all ages.
Valerie has been in health care at some level over the past 50 years. She has been a direction of a psychiatric home health agency, has worked in inpatient settings and works with student nurse practitioners to help them success in the profession.
Valerie works with patients age 6 to geriatric in medication management and EAGALA. She has experience with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity, Dual Diagnosis with substance or alcohol abuse disorders, Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorders, and other mood disorders. Her patients are educated in Mindfulness Meditation to utilize in the treatment plan. When appropriate she works in collaboration with psychologists to have psychiatric testing completed to confirm diagnosis for patients.