“Helping children, teens, adults & families to enhance their relationships & live happier lives. Provides counseling and play therapy in English and Spanish.”
Families are the heart of who we are. They shape our earliest experiences, influence how we see ourselves, and guide how we relate to the world around us. While many of us carry beautiful memories from childhood, we may also carry pain from moments of conflict, disconnection, or instability. The truth is, no matter how different our stories may be, we all share a desire to feel seen, heard, valued, and supported.
When family life feels overwhelming, whether due to separation, conflict, neglect, life transitions, or unmet emotional needs, it can be helpful to seek support through counseling. Therapy provides a safe, judgment-free space where children, teens, and families can begin to heal, reconnect, and move forward in a healthier way.
As a therapist, I strive to create a compassionate and welcoming environment where you and your loved ones feel safe to explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences at your own pace. I believe everyone deserves a space where they feel understood and supported, especially during life’s most difficult chapters.
Meet Your Therapist
Get to know Valeria.
Hear directly from Valeria about her approach to therapy, what inspires her work, and how she helps clients navigate challenges, build on their strengths, and create meaningful change.
Counseling services for children, teens, adults and families in Plantation and Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Helping children feel understood, families reconnect, and everyone grow stronger together.
Our relationships shape who we are, how we see ourselves, and how we navigate life’s challenges. When anxiety, emotional struggles, family conflict, or difficult transitions begin affecting your well-being, finding the right support can make a meaningful difference. Whether you’re seeking help for yourself, your child, or your entire family, you deserve a space where everyone feels heard, valued, and understood.
Valeria Scher-Arazi, Registered Clinical Social Worker Intern, provides compassionate, personalized counseling for children, teens, adults, and families. She specializes in helping clients navigate anxiety, depression, emotional and behavioral challenges, low self-esteem, family conflict, relationship difficulties, and major life transitions. With a particular passion for working with children and families, Valeria helps young clients express their emotions, develop healthy coping skills, and build confidence while partnering with parents to strengthen family relationships.
Drawing on Play Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Attachment-Based Therapy, and Experiential Family Therapy, Valeria takes a warm, collaborative, and strengths-based approach tailored to each client’s unique needs. She understands that our emotional well-being is deeply connected to our relationships, experiences, and family dynamics. Her goal is to help clients gain greater self-awareness, develop emotional resilience, improve communication, and create healthier patterns that support personal and family growth.
Valeria also offers counseling in English and Spanish, providing culturally sensitive support for individuals and families from diverse backgrounds. For clients who wish to incorporate their spiritual beliefs into the therapeutic process, she offers faith-based counseling tailored to their values and preferences.
Working with children is one of the most meaningful and fulfilling parts of my work. As a play therapist, I take a child-centered approach that honors each child’s unique way of expressing themselves.
For children who are age 10 and under, my primary goal is to create a safe, welcoming space where they feel comfortable leading the way. When children are allowed to guide the play, they gain the confidence to share what they may not yet have the words for. Through thoughtful, age-appropriate activities, I help children explore their emotions, build trust, and begin to make sense of the challenges they’re facing.
Many children struggle with transitions, following directions, or managing big feelings when limits are set. Using play therapy techniques, I help children build emotional awareness, improve frustration tolerance, and develop healthier ways to communicate their needs. We do this through games, modeling, storytelling, role-play, and other engaging techniques that make therapy feel both safe and fun.
Some children may be navigating major life changes like divorce, separation, or conflict at home. Play therapy gives them the space to process what’s happening at their own pace. Together, we can reframe troubling thoughts, build emotional resilience, and nurture their ability to cope with life’s challenges in healthy ways.
Counseling for teens
The teenage years can be incredibly complex and overwhelming. Adolescents are navigating rapid changes, emotionally, physically, and socially, all while trying to make sense of who they are and where they fit in. This time of transition can also be tough for parents, who often feel unsure about how to best support their teen through these ups and downs.
My role as a therapist for teens is to offer compassionate, nonjudgmental support for both teens and their families. I understand that trust takes time, especially with adolescents, and I approach each teen with genuine curiosity, patience, and respect.
Using a strengths-based and collaborative approach, I work with teens to help them build confidence, improve communication, develop emotional awareness, and better manage stress. Whenever appropriate, I include parents or caregivers to help rebuild connection, strengthen communication, and support a more harmonious home environment.
Family therapy
Family therapy offers a supportive space where each member can feel heard, understood, and validated. While it may seem like one person may be carrying the majority of the weight of the issue, the truth is that each member of the family plays an important role in the dynamics at play. Every voice matters, and everyone has the potential to grow.
Whether your family is navigating a major life transition, coping with grief, experiencing conflict between siblings or parents, or simply feeling disconnected, family therapy can help. Coming together in a therapeutic setting creates an opportunity for healing, understanding, and deeper connection.
Using a blend of experiential family therapy, intergenerational and psychoanalytic approaches, and emotionally focused techniques, I help families systemically explore the roots of their challenges and move toward more meaningful, supportive relationships.
Counseling for adults
Life can be incredibly challenging at times. You may have reached out because you know exactly what you need support with, or perhaps you just know that something feels off and you’re looking for guidance. My goal is to walk alongside you in therapy as we work together to uncover what’s really going on beneath the surface.
In our work together, we’ll move at a pace that feels right for you. We’ll explore ways to develop healthier relationships, set boundaries, align your life with your values, and strengthen your skills for navigating conflict. By addressing the root causes of your struggles, we can begin to create lasting change from the inside out.
At the heart of the healing process is a strong therapeutic relationship. Through a personalized blend of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Attachment-Based Theory, Psychoanalytic and Emotionally Focused techniques, and Faith-Based modalities when desired, we’ll work together to help you experience greater clarity, peace, and purpose in your life.
Counseling in Spanish
I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Therefore, I provide therapy in Spanish for children, teens, adults, and families who speak Spanish or feel more comfortable expressing themselves in their native language. For many individuals, being able to process thoughts and emotions in the language they use at home or grew up with can make therapy feel more natural, personal, and effective.
At your request, we can conduct our sessions entirely in Spanish, using the same thoughtful and evidence-based approaches I use with all clients. Language should never be a barrier to accessing quality mental health care.
Faith based counseling
In addition to evidence-based therapeutic approaches, I also offer faith-based counseling for those who wish to integrate their spiritual beliefs into the healing process. At your request, we can thoughtfully incorporate aspects of your faith, values, and guiding principles into our work together.
I provide faith-based counseling to Jewish and Christian individuals, children, teens, and families who are looking to bring their spirituality into the therapeutic space. No matter your background or beliefs, my goal is to get to know you as a whole person.
How Valeria works.
01
Systemic and collaborative
With a background in Social Work, I take a systemic approach to therapy, considering all the unique factors that shape your story. I work collaboratively with you to identify your goals and draw on your strengths.
02
Play as the natural language
Play is the natural language of children and through it, their inner world begins to unfold. Their hopes, fears, questions, and emotions often show up in subtle yet powerful ways during play, and it’s my role to gently help them feel seen, heard, and understood.
03
Families included
I believe the parent-child relationship is a vital part of the therapeutic process. When we join forces, we can create a stronger foundation of support for your child and for your entire family.
Meet Valeria
What we’ll work on
With a background in Social Work, I take a systemic approach to therapy, considering all the unique factors that shape your story. From big life transitions to the subtle day-to-day stressors, each piece matters. I will work collaboratively with you to identify your goals, draw on your strengths, and gently challenge you toward growth and lasting positive changes.
Depending on your unique needs and goals, I will use a variety of evidence-based approaches including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Play Therapy, Experiential Family Therapy, Intergenerational and Psychoanalytic techniques, and Attachment-Based modalities. Each session is tailored to support you and your loved one in building emotional resilience, strengthening relationships, and fostering personal growth.
Reg. Registered Social Work Intern, State of Florida
MSW Master of Social Work, Colorado State University
BA Psychology and sociology, University of Florida
Play Child-centered play therapy
Also CBT, Experiential Family Therapy, Attachment-Based and Psychoanalytic techniques
Lang. Sessions in English and Spanish
Who I work with
I provide counseling for children, teens, adults, and families. Working with children is one of the most meaningful and fulfilling parts of my work, and I collaborate closely with parents and caregivers throughout our work together.
I provide counseling in English and Spanish at our calming, spa-like offices in Plantation and Fort Lauderdale. If you’re ready to take the next step, I would be honored to support you.
Call me today at 954-391-5305 for a complimentary phone consultation. Let’s talk about how I can help you and your loved ones feel more connected, supported, and empowered.
I’ve always known that I would pursue a career in therapy. From a young age I realized being a therapist was just a part of who I am. I studied psychology and sociology at the University of Florida and received my double major status in 2022. Sociology added a contextual element to the individual psychology side that I was already so passionate about.
After graduating I worked as a Registered Behavior Technician, a therapist for children on the spectrum. It was at this entry level job that I discovered my passion for working with children and their families. I saw kids of all ages at their school, in their homes and at our clinic.
After a year of working as an RBT, I decided to pursue my Masters in Social Work at Colorado State University. Throughout my program, I found myself gravitating towards play therapy and family therapy. I began my internship at an amazing counseling private practice and nonprofit, called The Willow Collective.
My internship and what it taught me
The Willow Collective was focused on serving children and families, including pregnant and postpartum moms, families in the foster care system and those involved in the criminal justice system.
Throughout my internship I focused on incorporating play therapy with children going through family divorce, sexual abuse, peer conflict at school, emotional outbursts, and more. I also worked with adults struggling with anxiety and depression, and loved working with moms in their postpartum journey.
As I completed my studies and finished my internship, I knew I had discovered my love and dedication for serving families. These experiences inspired me to start my own business and join the Bayview Therapy team in Fort Lauderdale and Plantation.
Get to know me
Just For Fun
I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and I love soccer! Spending time with my family and my closest friends is something I am always making time for. I love to cook and try new recipes, and to discover different cuisines from around the world.
I have a female cat named Sol who I got as a surprise gift years ago. She has been with me in many college apartments, across the state and now back home. I love to go on long walks and write poetry or read outside. And I love to try and learn new things. I am currently teaching myself how to rollerskate.
What makes my practice different
Why work with me?
01
I strive to create a compassionate and welcoming environment where you and your loved ones feel safe to explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences at your own pace. I believe everyone deserves a space where they feel understood and supported, especially during life’s most difficult chapters.
02
I take a systemic approach, considering all the unique factors that shape your story. From big life transitions to the subtle day-to-day stressors, each piece matters.
03
I also believe the parent-child relationship is a vital part of the therapeutic process. That’s why I collaborate closely with parents and caregivers throughout our work together.
Are you ready to step into your potential and truly thrive?
Why not make today the first day of the rest of your life? You and your loved ones deserve it. Call me at 954-391-5305 to schedule your complimentary phone consultation.
I offer counseling for children, teens, adults and families in English and Spanish at our beautiful offices located in Fort Lauderdale and Plantation, Florida. I also offer convenient online therapy sessions via our secure telehealth platform for those who reside in the state of Florida. I look forward to speaking with you to discuss how I can help you and your loved ones thrive.
Great Care Starts With Connection. Meet Valeria’s Colleagues.
Valeria is proud to be part of Bayview Therapy’s diverse team of experienced therapists and psychologists. Each clinician brings unique specialties, perspectives, and approaches, all sharing a commitment to compassionate, personalized care.
We invite you to get to know some of the wonderful professionals Valeria works alongside.
