Monique Gardner, LCSW

Monique Gardner is an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) with five years of practice experience in Virginia. Monique works with adults dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and concerns linked to trauma and abuse. Their focus includes family-of-origin issues such as attachment difficulties, abandonment, and adoption and foster care questions. Sessions are conducted in English.

Monique uses straightforward, skills-based work in sessions. They draw on cognitive behavioral techniques to spot unhelpful thoughts and try small experiments to change day-to-day patterns. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy ideas are used to help people clarify values and take concrete steps toward them. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are offered for managing strong emotions and improving distress tolerance.

The approach also includes attachment-based conversations about how early relationships still shape expectations and closeness now. Monique combines this with client-centered listening to make room for what matters most to the person in the room. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused ideas guide short-term planning and practical coping strategies.

Monique has experience supporting people facing complex combinations of concerns, including co-occurring mood and behavioral issues, caregiving stress, chronic illness, body image, and relationship patterns. They also have experience working with LGBTQIA+ issues and post-crisis care from prior roles.

People who come to Monique typically want clear tools and direct reflection on how family patterns repeat. The first conversations usually map current problems, identify small behavioral steps, and set achievable goals for the coming weeks.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online work