About Courage & Wellness Therapy

Welcome! Thank you for visiting our site and learning more about Courage & Wellness Therapy. Our practice was created with a vision to help individuals find the inner strength to be more authentic and vulnerable in their lives. Our approach is based on many different frameworks such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy. A larger part of our therapeutic process is through the Daring Way™ model, which is based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown. Our therapists are Certified Daring Way™ Facilitators (CDWF) who explore topics such as vulnerability, courage, shame, and worthiness. Please see the Approach Tab for more information. To best serve your needs, your therapist will complete an initial assessment at your first appointment before entering the therapeutic relationship to individualize treatment for you.

Co-Founders of Courage & Wellness Therapy

Andrea Valente, LCSW

Welcome! I appreciate your willingness to take on this endeavor into the beginning stages of therapy. The therapeutic process is a collaboration and partnership; I work with my clients to discover their most authentic self to be able to live and love whole-heartedly and find their courage in vulnerability. I work with clients in an effort to creatively reach their goals through emphasizing the courage and bravery she/he already possess. I provide a safe, non-judgmental, and nurturing environment that allows you to show up as your authentic self.

Andrea has experience treating young adults and adults with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and life issues. She wants to guide you to learn how to deal with setbacks and maintain a balanced lifestyle. Andrea teaches strategies to address issues around vulnerability, guilt, and shame and find ways to practice courage and build resiliency.

Lauren Emma-Burmylo, LCSW

Welcome, my name is Lauren (she/her) and I am a licensed clinical social worker. I recognize that it takes a tremendous amount of courage to begin therapy. Therefore, my practice is focused on providing an empathetic and non-judgmental environment. The Daring Way and IFS are two models I implement when working with clients in the therapeutic setting. After attending a two day training with the creator of IFS, Dr. Richard Schwartz, I developed skills for IFS informed treatment with clients. Internal family systems (IFS) is an empirical model of therapy used to help clients strengthen the parts that make up their internal system. The goal of IFS is to learn how to unburden and heal the parts that cause internal conflicts and work towards promoting emotional healing. Additionally, as a Certified Daring Way Facilitator, I utilize the Daring Way™ model. This model is based on the research of Dr. Brené Brown and explores topics such as vulnerability, courage, shame, and worthiness. I have been trained to help clients work towards living a more wholehearted life by exploring the most authentic version of themselves. A major focus of this model is developing shame resiliency skills, self-compassion, establishing values and self-worth. Having these tools can transform the way we live, parent and love in our lives.