Dealing with low sexual desire?
Struggling to communicate?
Need help talking about sex or trauma?
Considering an open relationship?
We used to avoid hard talks because we'd always end up fighting. But now, we've learned how to communicate where we finally resolve our issues instead of ending feeling more confused or resentful.
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Welcome to RISE!
RISE Relationship Therapy & Training Services exists for individuals and couples who are tired of circling the same patterns, and are ready for real, lasting change.
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We specialize in the complex, often unspoken struggles that live at the intersection of relationships, sexuality, attachment, and trauma.
Whether you’re navigating emotional disconnection, mismatched desire, sexual anxiety, performance concerns, betrayal, or long-standing communication breakdowns, our work is designed to meet you with both compassion and clarity.
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Our approach is deeply trauma-informed and grounded in evidence-based research, drawing from attachment theory, sex therapy, nervous system regulation, and contemporary couples therapy models.
But more than that, it’s practical, structured, and intentional. We don’t just help you understand why things feel hard, we help you learn how to do things differently.
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At RISE, you’ll find a nonjudgmental, intelligent space where difficult conversations about sex, power, shame, conflict, and desire are not avoided or rushed. Instead, they’re handled with care, skill, and a clear roadmap forward.
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Clients come to us feeling stuck, disconnected, or quietly hopeless, and leave with stronger emotional safety, clearer communication, renewed intimacy, and a deeper sense of confidence in themselves and their relationships.
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This work isn’t surface-level. It’s thoughtful, research-driven, and designed for people who want meaningful change - not quick fixes.
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If you’re ready to rebuild connection, intimacy, and trust from the inside out, you’re in the right place.
Founder and Lead Clinician
Valerie McDonnell, LCSW
My work is guided by one clear mission: helping couples feel emotionally safe, sexually connected, and fully alive in their relationships again.
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For more than a decade, I've specialized in sex and couples therapy, trauma recovery, and attachment-based healing. I work with individuals and couples who are deeply invested in their relationships and ready to engage in focused, meaningful work to change long-standing patterns of conflict, emotional distance, or sexual disconnection.
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RISE Relationship Therapy and Training Services was created through both professional expertise and personal experience. My own history with trauma and PTSD shaped not only how I understand the nervous system, attachment, and intimacy, but also how deeply I respect the courage it takes to heal. I know firsthand that insight alone is not enough. Lasting change requires structure, safety, and a clear process that supports the body and the relationship, not just the mind.
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Through years of clinical work, I also recognized a limitation of traditional therapy models. Too often, couples are left in open-ended conversations without the guidance, skills, or direction needed to create real momentum.
At RISE we offer a more structured, outcome-driven approach for clients who want clarity, depth, and measurable progress.
This work is immersive, intentional, and research-informed.
We integrate trauma-informed care, attachment science, sex therapy, and nervous system regulation into a guided process that leads to clear outcomes: emotional safety, regulated communication, restored intimacy, and relationships that feel secure, resilient, and deeply connected.
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This is not surface-level coaching or indefinite talk therapy. It is focused, integrative work designed for individuals and couples who are ready to commit to the process and take responsibility for meaningful change.
At its core, RISE exists to help people stop repeating painful relational patterns and start building relationships rooted in trust, desire, and long-term emotional and sexual fulfillment.
The Client Journey
1.
CLARIFY THE PROBLEM
2.
DISMANTLE THE BARRIERS TO CONNECTION
3.
CREATE LASTING CHANGE
4.
BUILD A SECURE, CONNECTED RELATIONSHIP
Ready to RISE?
If something in your relationship or sex life feels stuck, confusing, or disconnected, you don’t have to navigate it alone.
The first step isn’t committing to a program—it’s getting clarity.
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Start with a strategy session and discover what’s actually happening, what’s getting in the way, and what support will help you move forward with confidence.