Dr. Valerie Stokes, Ph.D., LISW
Licensed Independent Social Worker Elevate Orange City Office

Dr. Valerie Stokes, Ph.D., LISW, is a licensed independent social worker in Orange City, Iowa, with over 30 years of experience in the social work field, including extensive work with individuals and families. She is a tenured professor of social work at Northwestern College. Her professional background includes private practice ownership and clinical supervision of mental health therapists at a federally qualified health center (FQHC). She earned a Ph.D. in Human Development & Educational Psychology at the University of South Dakota in 2008, and she is a (LISW) licensed independent social worker. She received a bachelor’s degree in social work from Northwestern College in 1993 and earned a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Nebraska in Omaha in 1997.

Throughout her career, Dr. Stokes has supported individuals affected by trauma, including domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual assault, and traumatic loss. Her background includes mental health therapy, community justice work, leadership in transitional housing, and supervision of services for survivors of violence. Her areas of practice include trauma, grief and loss, life transitions, anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, attachment concerns, and relational issues.

Dr. Stokes has training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Lifespan Integration, family systems therapy, attachment theory, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Mindfulness, Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), and psychoeducation of the neurobiological response system. Her approach is relational, strengths-based, solution-oriented, and trauma-informed, with treatment tailored to each client’s needs and goals.

Dr. Stokes also served as Northwestern College’s first Director of Academic Diversity Initiatives and contributed to the development of the college’s Vision for Diversity. Her diversity work has supported efforts to cultivate belonging, deepen cultural understanding, and equip educators and students to engage thoughtfully across differences. These commitments inform her therapeutic practice through attention to each client’s cultural identity, lived experiences, and the ways social systems shape well-being and access to support.

Dr. Stokes believes healing begins within a trusting relationship where each person’s inherent worth and dignity are honored. She approaches therapy as a collaborative process, helping clients recognize their strengths, understand how their experiences have shaped them, and develop new ways of responding to life’s challenges. She considers the relational, family, cultural, and community contexts that influence well-being and respects each client’s voice and choices throughout the therapeutic journey.

Her faith informs her commitment to compassion, justice, and restoration, while she welcomes and respects clients of all faiths and diverse perspectives. She seeks to create a compassionate, authentic space where people feel heard, respected, and supported. Her hope is to help people find greater freedom from painful patterns, deepen meaningful connections, and move toward lives that reflect their values.

She and her husband have four adult children, including an adopted son, plus many grandchildren. Their lives together have been challenging and rewarding. Sharing life together always is. And in her spare time, she loves bird watching, her two dogs, sitting by the lake, and mindful movement. She values time with close friends, her family and travel.

If you take the step to engage in therapy with Dr. Stokes, you will be respected, heard, and challenged to grow. But, growth is ultimately in your hands. She would love to journey with you.