Valeria (or Val) has been part of Haelen Mental Health since 2024.  She is a board-certified, bilingual psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) fluent in medical English and Spanish. Her journey into nursing and behavioral health was anything but conventional. While working as a paralegal in workers’ compensation and disability law, she witnessed firsthand the barriers clients with mental illness faced in accessing care. This experience ignited her commitment to addressing unmet mental health needs and ultimately led her to pursue nursing.

Her passion deepened during her years as an oncology bedside nurse at University of Colorado Hospital, where she cared for patients not only physically but emotionally—supporting them and their families through the fear, grief, and uncertainty that cancer brings. Valeria brings over eight years of nursing experience in oncology and medical-surgical units, and earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Colorado Denver in 2023.

Her behavioral health training spans both hospital-based and community settings. She works with adolescents and adults across the lifespan, treating a wide range of conditions including anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, OCD, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders. Valeria’s approach is collaborative and patient-centered: she honors each individual’s worldview, autonomy, and self-determination, and actively involves them in every step of the treatment planning process.

Valeria’s lived experience as an immigrant and bilingual provider deeply informs her clinical practice. Having navigated the complexities of bicultural identity and acculturative stress herself, she brings a unique empathy and insight to patients facing similar challenges. She understands how cultural expectations, language barriers, intergenerational dynamics, and systemic inequities can impact mental health—and she creates a space where patients feel seen, heard, and respected. Whether working with first-generation teens grappling with identity or adults balancing cultural heritage with new societal norms, Valeria integrates cultural humility and trauma-informed care to support healing and empowerment. Her approach is not only clinically sound but also rooted in personal understanding, making her a trusted ally for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

Outside of clinical practice, Valeria is a passionate advocate for the Hispanic community and serves as Past President of the National Association of Hispanic Nurses – Denver Chapter. She cherishes time with her husband and grown children, and enjoys traveling and learning about different cultures.

Valeria provides care to teens and adults ages 12 and up.