Valerie Stubbs, LMFT, PhD | Ankeny Lead

I work with adults who feel anxious, overstimulated, stuck in compulsive patterns, or still living in the impact of trauma. Many of my clients function at a high level on the outside, but internally they’re tense, hypervigilant, exhausted, or ashamed of what they’re still carrying from the past. I have a special focus in PTSD, complex trauma (including trauma from childhood or relationships), and the way trauma shows up in the body: panic, shutdown, compulsive behaviors, emotional numbness, and trouble staying present with people you love.

In session, I am steady, direct, and very collaborative. I don’t believe in shaming, pressuring, or pushing you faster than your nervous system can tolerate. I also won’t sit back and just nod while you’re drowning. We slow things down so you can actually notice what is happening in your body in real time and learn how to interrupt it: the racing thoughts, the compulsive urge, the freeze. My goal is that you leave sessions with something usable, not just “insight,” but a way to survive the next 3 a.m. spiral.

My clinical work is deeply trauma-informed and neuroscience-based. I use EMDR, which is a structured trauma therapy that helps the brain reprocess past experiences so they stop feeling like they’re still happening right now. I also integrate ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), which helps you build a different relationship with painful thoughts instead of getting hooked by them, and CES/neurofeedback tools that support nervous system regulation for people who feel constantly on edge or overwhelmed. For clients working through compulsive or addictive behaviors, especially women, we focus on reducing shame, understanding the function of the behavior, and building regulation skills so you can actually choose instead of react. For clients who identify as neurodivergent, including women who identify with autism spectrum traits or sensory processing differences, I work from a strengths-based, non-pathologizing lens.

Across treatment, people commonly report fewer panic spikes, fewer overwhelm episodes, better sleep, less compulsive re-checking or ritualizing, and the ability to stay more grounded in situations that used to send them into fight/flight or freeze. Survivors of long-term trauma often describe feeling more in their body, more able to say no, and less controlled by fear and shame. Couples and families I work with often report calmer communication and less walking on eggshells.

I do offer faith-integrated counseling for clients who want it. For many clients, spiritual language, prayer, or questions about God, guilt, forgiveness, or anger toward the church are part of their healing. For clients with religious trauma or church harm, we approach this slowly and with consent, without using pressure, fear, or shame. If you prefer a purely clinical approach without any spiritual content, we will not include faith in your treatment.

I have been counseling since 2006 and have advanced training in trauma recovery. I served on the Mobile Crisis unit supporting the Des Moines Police Department and surrounding communities in high-intensity mental health situations, and I worked in forensic mental health and corrections doing assessment and analysis for five years. I am a Clinical Fellow of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP). I have additional education in EMDR and neuroscience-based interventions (including EEG, CES, and sensory-based retraining approaches), and I have completed neuroscience coursework through Johns Hopkins University. My book, “PTSD and Trauma-Informed Mindfulness Scripts,” was published in 2021.

Areas of focus:
– Trauma and PTSD, including complex trauma and adult survivors of childhood trauma
– Anxiety, panic, and chronic hyperarousal/shutdown patterns
– Compulsive and addictive behaviors in women
– High-stress helping roles (compassion fatigue, crisis exposure, first responder and frontline work)
– Neurodivergent-affirming work with women who identify with autism spectrum or sensory processing differences
– EMDR and neuroscience-supported trauma treatment (including CES, EEG, and sensory immersion work)
– Performance fear and phobia work (including stage fright, exposure, and regulation training)
– Faith-integrated therapy for clients who want to include Christian belief in their healing process