Licensed to practice in Virginia and accepts 11 insurances. Specializes in Life Transitions, Women's Issues, Anxiety and 10 more.
(she/her)
Hi, I'm Daija Monroe, Licensed Professional Counselor and founder of Monroe Behavioral Insight Consulting. I'm so glad you're here and I want you to know that finding the courage to seek support is something to be proud of. I'm a Virginia-based therapist with over seven years of experience working with individuals across a wide range of life experiences and challenges. I have experience in community mental health, forensic mental health, crisis intervention, and school-based settings which means I bring a well-rounded, real-world understanding of how life, systems, and mental health intersect. My work is rooted in creating a space that feels genuinely safe where you don't have to perform, pretend, or have it all figured out before walking through the door. I'll be honest with you, I'm not the therapist who will sit quietly and just nod. I'm warm, I'm real, and I'm straightforward. I believe you deserve a therapist who will actually engage with you, celebrate your wins, and gently challenge you when you need it. No sugarcoating, but always with compassion. My approach blends evidence-based techniques with genuine human connection. I specialize in working with women, young adults, adolescents, first responders, healthcare workers, and immigrants navigating life's most difficult moments. Whether you're carrying invisible weight, feeling stuck, or simply ready to finally put yourself first, I want to help you get there. Outside of my clinical work I am a mother, author, speaker, and advocate for mental health awareness. Life has taught me firsthand that healing is possible even when it feels impossibly far away. That lived experience shapes everything about how I show up for my clients. You don't have to keep holding it all alone. I'm here.
Your first session with me is not about having the right answers or knowing exactly what to say. It's simply about showing up and I'll take it from there. Whatever you're feeling right now, nervous, uncertain, relieved, or even a little skeptical, that's completely normal. You don't need to prepare. You don't need a script. You just need to show up. Our first session is 60 minutes and every minute of it is dedicated entirely to you. I'll start by getting to know you as a whole person, not just your symptoms or struggles. What's your life like? What do you care about? What keeps you up at night? From there we'll complete a biopsychosocial assessment where I'll ask questions to better understand your full picture, your history, relationships, and what's been weighing on you most. You are always in control of what you share and when. We move at your pace. Always. By the end of our first session we'll begin mapping out a plan tailored specifically to you. No cookie cutter approaches. Your therapy will be built around your life, your needs, and what actually works for you. You don't have to have it all together to show up. You just have to be willing and I will meet you exactly where you are.
My greatest strength as a therapist is my ability to meet you exactly where you are, not where I think you should be, not where textbooks or the internet say you ought to be, but exactly where you actually are right now. I don't come into our sessions with a rigid agenda. I come in fully present, fully prepared, and fully focused on you. But beyond my professional experience, it's my lived experience that truly sets me apart. I became a therapist because I needed one and didn't have one. I grew up as the oldest child, the one everyone leaned on, the one who was supposed to have it together, the one with no older sibling to turn to when life got hard. I was the person my family came to while quietly struggling on the inside. I know exactly what it feels like to be the strong one and to feel completely alone in that role. My life has not been without pain. I have experienced the grief of losing my brother to gun violence. I have navigated failed relationships and heartbreak. I have felt the weight of postpartum as a mother. I have known what it means to grow up with a father who was incarcerated and absent. These experiences shaped me into the therapist I am today. I never had a safe person to go to growing up. I never had someone who made me feel like my pain was valid, my voice mattered, and my struggles were worth addressing. And somewhere along the way I made a decision that I was going to become that person for someone else. I was going to build the space I never had. That is why I do this work. Not just because I have the credentials, the training, or the clinical hours, but because I have lived it. And I want every person who walks into my space to feel what I never felt growing up: safe, seen, heard, and worthy of support. I am also a mother. And motherhood has taught me things that no clinical training ever could about patience, about unconditional love, about showing up even when you're exhausted, and about the weight of responsibility that comes with caring for someone else. When I work with mothers or caregivers who feel like they are running on empty, I don't just empathize, I get it on a deeply personal level. Now, about my style. I am not a therapist who will sit quietly and nod for 60 minutes. I believe in genuine engagement, real conversation, and being honest with you even when it's uncomfortable. That said, I also know when to be still. When someone needs to cry, to process, to just be heard without being redirected or fixed, I can hold that space completely. I know when to speak and when to simply be present. Reading what a client needs in any given moment is one of my greatest clinical strengths. I am also deeply culturally aware. As a Black woman, a mother, and someone who has worked extensively with underserved and marginalized communities, I understand the unique pressures and cultural dynamics that shape mental health in ways that are often overlooked in traditional therapy spaces. What you will never get from me is judgment. You will never feel like a burden in my space. You will never feel rushed, dismissed, or like just another appointment on my calendar. Every client I work with gets my full presence, my full heart, and my full commitment to their healing. That is what makes this space different.
My ideal clients are people who look like they have it all together on the outside, but on the inside, they're exhausted, overwhelmed, and quietly struggling. They're the ones who keep showing up for everyone else while putting themselves last. The ones who are juggling work, relationships, motherhood, parenting, school, and responsibilities with a smile on their face while privately feeling drained, disconnected, and unseen. I work best with women, men, young adults, and adolescents who are navigating anxiety, burnout, life transitions, grief, self-esteem challenges, and emotional overwhelm. My clients are often high-functioning individuals who overthink everything, struggle to say no, and feel guilty the moment they try to prioritize themselves. They may be dealing with people-pleasing patterns, identity loss, perfectionism, or the constant pressure to have it all together all while feeling completely unsupported inside. I also work with individuals carrying deeper wounds, those who have experienced trauma, emotional neglect, unhealthy relationships, family conflict, abandonment, exposure to violence, or the pain of having a loved one incarcerated. I also support immigrants navigating fear, family separation, and uncertainty. Many of my clients have been pretending to be okay for so long that they've lost touch with who they really are. If you find yourself withdrawing from others, shutting down, struggling to trust, or feeling like no one truly sees what you're carrying, you are exactly who I created this space for. Therapy with me is not about just surviving. It's about finally exhaling, reconnecting with yourself, and building a life that actually feels good, not just one that looks good from the outside. Whether you're a first responder, a healthcare worker, a busy mom, a student, entreprenuer, or simply someone who has been strong for too long, you deserve a space that is entirely yours.
Other specialties
I identify as
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Have you ever noticed that the way you think about something affects how you feel and what you do? That's exactly what we work on together. I help you recognize thought patterns that may be keeping you stuck and we work on replacing them with healthier ways of thinking so you can feel better and move forward in your life.
Trauma Informed Care
If you've been through difficult or painful experiences, I want you to know that this is a safe space. I work at your pace, never pushing you to share more than you're ready for. Everything we do together is built around helping you feel safe, respected, and in control of your own healing journey.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
You are the expert on your own life, I'm just here to walk alongside you. In our sessions, I follow your lead. There's no judgment here, no agenda. Just a space where you can talk openly, feel genuinely heard, and figure out what you truly want for yourself.
Strength-Based
Sometimes life gets hard and we forget how capable we actually are. I help you rediscover and use the strengths you already have inside you. Instead of focusing only on what's wrong, we also look at what's working and build from there.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Life can feel overwhelming sometimes, especially when emotions run high. I teach practical skills to help you manage those big feelings, communicate better in relationships, and handle stressful situations without feeling like everything is falling apart.