About Monique
Monique Gardner is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people manage stress, anxiety, depression, attention differences, and effects of trauma and abuse. Monique writes in a direct, calm way and focuses on simple, practical steps people can use right away. She works from Virginia and communicates in English.
Monique uses straightforward tools to help people feel steadier day to day. She blends skills-based methods like cognitive behavioral therapy with acceptance and commitment ideas to reduce avoidance and build values-driven action.
Background and approach
She also draws on techniques from dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. Her approach centers on each person’s goals and strengths. Sessions look different depending on what a person needs - sometimes a clear plan of steps, sometimes skills practice, and sometimes space to process what has happened.
Monique favors short, usable strategies that fit into busy lives. Before clinical work she gained experience supporting people with mood and behavioral concerns, dual diagnosis, grief, eating concerns, and post-crisis care. That background informs how she assesses safety and plans practical next steps during early sessions.
Monique emphasizes collaboration and respect. She helps people notice what is working, practice new responses, and make small changes that add up. For many, the result is more confidence managing stress and clearer direction when anxiety or depressive symptoms feel overwhelming.
Evidence-informed approaches for online care
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on clarifying personal values and taking small committed steps toward them even when uncomfortable feelings arise. It is often useful for anxiety, avoidance, and finding direction during stressful times. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and then practices specific changes to reduce symptoms like worry or low mood. This approach works well for stress, anxiety, and depression. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, includes skills for regulating intense emotions and tolerating distress without making things worse. These skills can be helpful when anxiety or mood swings disrupt day-to-day functioning.Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with the person about their goals, try out techniques, and adjust the plan based on what feels most helpful. The aim is to find methods that match a person’s needs and preferences rather than applying a single technique to everyone.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video sessions are good for face-to-face conversation and skills coaching. Phone sessions can fit into a short break or work better when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text messaging allow brief check-ins, written coaching, or follow-up between sessions. These options make regular care more flexible and easier to fit into a busy life while supporting steady progress.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
What is her general therapy style?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credential does she hold and where is she located?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
What session formats are available?
How are sessions priced?
How do I begin working with her?
What this therapist works with
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Dependent personality
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexuality
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Somatic Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
- Experience
- 5 years
- Licensed
- Virginia
- Languages
- English
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.