Valerie Peterson, LCSW

Valerie Peterson, CSW, was born and raised in the Salt Lake Valley. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah in Recreational Therapy in 2000 and enjoyed working with children and teens in Primary Children’s Behavioral Health programs. After taking a break to focus on raising her family, she recently received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. She is passionate about helping families flourish and is excited to be part of the Families First Mental Health Team. She has experience working with individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, emotional deregulation, and trauma. In addition, she has experience using CBT, DBT, IFS, and creative therapies (art, sand tray, narrative, and play) to help individuals and families increase their emotional intelligence and resilience to manage the challenges life brings. She is also passionate about helping parents and utilizes attachment theory to teach authoritative parenting skills that incorporate empathy, connection, and leadership into family relationships.

When she isn’t at work, Valerie loves spending time with her husband and 3 kids. She enjoys laughing with them at family dinners while they tell dad jokes and silly stories. She also loves hiking, running, reading, gardening, cheering for her kids at their games and competitions, entertaining, and teaching piano lessons.