LCSW, 23 years of experience
I’m an LCSW with over 20 years experience in counseling individuals, couples, and groups. I specialize in issues of self esteem, relationships, and in helping clients find out exactly what they need in order to feel confident, calm, hopeful, and on-track. Often, new clients come in with some degree of anxiety, depression, or both. Don't worry if this is true for you. I'm highly experienced and my clients have told me they've benefited greatly in reduction of these symptoms. I don't believe that pain is useful in any way. I believe in insight, relief, and healing as quickly as possible. My style is inquisitive and interactive — I want to know what you need to tell me. I want to know what is causing your life to be anything less than pleasant, safe, and manageable. I want you to be okay, to feel okay, and to be confident in yourself and in your choices and relationships: I want you to feel certain that you are worthy, and that it is good to be you. And while most of my clients do present with some degree of past trauma, or injury to their sense of being worthy and needed, the fact is that life is not easy for anyone. But if we are carrying unhealed wounds, every setback or disappointment can bring back pain from the past. I find that once the major wound of how we see ourselves is healed, then the rest of life’s problems are much easier to resolve. So whether anxiety or depression, or conflict in a relationship has brought you here; I'm ready to help you find out what you want and need, and what's in the way. I don't believe in suffering. I do believe in relief, in hope, and learning how to undo pain.
In our first session, I'll want you to tell me why you're seeking therapy now, and what you'd like into see healed, solved, or made better in your life. It's important that we explore what's working for you, and what's not, so that we can come to solutions that bring you peace, fun, satisfaction, and the inner security that allows you to trust yourself. So often, unfortunately, we're trained not to trust or believe in ourselves and in our intrinsic worth. That's a good place to start healing. Because when you can heal the wounds to your sense of self, all decisions become easier. Choices seem more clear. And you won't find yourself caught in unhappy situations that you can't seem to find a way out of. Life becomes much easier to sort out. And that is a very valuable thing.
I'm honest, kind, and direct. Most of my clients have said that they appreciate how I help them see things clearly, and that they feel really seen and understood by me. I'm here to help, so I won't spend a lot of time just reflecting back to you what you've said. I'll ask questions. I'll provide alternative perspective. I'll give feedback, and ask you if you feel that feedback is accurate --- and if you say it's not, I'll ask you to fill me in on what is. My assessment and analytical skills are very keen. And I'll be using them to help you find your answers, your truth, and your path. Meanwhile, I want you to know that if you're hurting, I can help you hold that pain with respect and kindness. But I will also work hard to help you find solutions to problems that are preventing you from being at peace with yourself, life, and other people. Comfort is necessary and good, and I have it to share with you, sincerely. But I will also strive to help you find your right path, so that you don't have to hurt in the first place. Life does bring pain. But that doesn't mean we have to keep it, as ongoing suffering. Suffering happens when we are stuck with problems we can't solve, or stuck in relationships that don't work, or careers that wear us out but don't meet our needs. If we find a way to identify and map out ways to work on solving your problems, we have a chance of getting your needs met. And getting our needs met is crucial in order to strongly decrease the chance of suffering. I want you to not be stuck, but rather, to be empowered to find your own answers, and to get your problems solved, get your needs met, and have a happy, fulfilling life.
I work with Individuals, and with couples. I'm open to each client's self-identification regarding gender and sexual/romantic preference.
We all have a story in our minds about who we are, what life is supposed to be like, and how other people are supposed to behave. To the degree that we've got a story in there that doesn't work for us, that's the degree of unhappiness or distress that we're going to feel in our everyday lives. I'll work with you to uncover your core beliefs. Find out what you believe to be true about who you are, what you're like, and what you want in your life. We can sort out problems in self esteem, meeting your goals, having healthy relationships --- it's all part of getting what you think is true in line with what is really present in your life. I help people to rewrite their life story in ways that help them figure out what they really want and need -- and how to pursue those goals in effective and fulfilling ways.
CBT focuses on challenging negative self-talk, and on choosing behaviors that are actionable: you realistically can do them, you've chosen them, and you can set a time-line for accomplishing them one step at a time. I also make use of Narrative Therapy, Solutions-Focused Therapy, and an eclectic mix of all the top theoretical modalities. We'll use any and all that work best for you.
Compassionate understanding and validation of you, your experiences, and the context of your life is the foundation for a good therapeutic bond. When we are hurt by life, or by not having what we need from life, we need to be compassionately understood, and receive encouragement and support. Without that, our feelings would not be validated, and we do enough invalidating of our feelings on our own! Therapy is a place to come tell what's happened to us, what we need, what we feel, and what our beliefs are about ourselves, life, and others. Because without the listening, guidance and compassion of someone who really does understand, there would be no healing accomplished, no matter how many times we shared our story. It's the compassionate understanding that makes all the difference.
3 ratings with written reviews
August 17, 2025
I can't figure out why i'm anxious, and Monica is helping me find out. I needed a starting point.
July 9, 2025
Monica is so very intuitive and really understands how to "read" people. She is open, non-judgmental, honest, and warm. The couples therapy sessions are always eye opening for me, and teach me more about myself each time. My husband and I have tried therapy before (both couples and individual) and all I can say is I wish I had Monica to help us through much sooner :)
April 19, 2025
Very honest, straightforward & gave us a realistic/positive outlook on our marriage therapy.