- Goal focused
- Practical steps
- Compassionate listener
About Monica
Monica Cruz is a licensed clinical social worker with 16 years of experience based in Louisiana. She welcomes people who are ready to change and offers steady, practical support. Monica listens carefully and helps clients set small, doable goals. She emphasizes steady progress rather than sudden fixes.
Monica draws on several counseling approaches to match what each person needs. She uses Client-Centered methods to follow what the client brings to sessions. She also applies Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Attachment-Based ideas guide work around closeness, trust, and abandonment issues.
In sessions she focuses on real-life steps. Monica helps people break big problems into manageable pieces. Together clients practice new skills, try different ways of communicating, and create plans for daily life. She pays attention to emotional safety and to how past relationships affect current choices.
Her areas of concern include stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, addictions, and intimacy-related issues. Monica also supports people dealing with grief, parenting strain, work stress, body image, and identity matters within LGBT contexts. She is familiar with concerns such as attachment issues, codependency, and dissociation.
Monica aims to make therapy predictable and practical. New clients complete a short matching questionnaire to start. From there they schedule sessions and work together on clear, step-by-step plans that fit everyday life.
Monica draws on several counseling approaches to match what each person needs. She uses Client-Centered methods to follow what the client brings to sessions. She also applies Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. Attachment-Based ideas guide work around closeness, trust, and abandonment issues.
In sessions she focuses on real-life steps. Monica helps people break big problems into manageable pieces. Together clients practice new skills, try different ways of communicating, and create plans for daily life. She pays attention to emotional safety and to how past relationships affect current choices.
Her areas of concern include stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, addictions, and intimacy-related issues. Monica also supports people dealing with grief, parenting strain, work stress, body image, and identity matters within LGBT contexts. She is familiar with concerns such as attachment issues, codependency, and dissociation.
Monica aims to make therapy predictable and practical. New clients complete a short matching questionnaire to start. From there they schedule sessions and work together on clear, step-by-step plans that fit everyday life.
How these approaches guide online work
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships shape current patterns. Monica uses it to help people understand trust, abandonment, and closeness issues and to build healthier ways of relating. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on the person in front of the therapist. It involves active listening, reflecting what the client says, and letting the client's priorities shape the work. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets the links between thoughts, feelings, and actions. It teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful thinking and to try new behaviors in daily life.Finding the right approach is collaborative. Monica will talk with each person about goals and preferences and suggest which combination of methods might help most. She adjusts plans as clients try strategies and share what is or isn't working.
Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week and to keep regular momentum between appointments. It can allow for shorter check-ins when schedules are tight and cuts down travel time. Because the therapist's supported session formats are not specified in the biography, confirm current session options before booking to know what is offered. Licensed professionals can tailor session length and pacing to accommodate work, family, and other daily demands.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
AddictionsLGBTFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesEating disordersSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesCoping with life changesCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD
Additional focus areas
AbandonmentAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBDSM, kink, and alternative sex cultureBlended family issuesBody imageCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDependent personalityDisruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)DissociationDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGender dysphoriaGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersNarcissismObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksParanoiaPersonality disordersPhobiasPolyamory / non-monogamous relationshipsPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressPrejudice and discriminationSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSexualitySocial anxiety and phobiaSomatizationWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Gottman MethodJungian TherapyMindfulness TherapyPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapySomatic TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems
Experience
16+ years
Credentials
Louisiana
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does Monica address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, addictions, and intimacy-related issues, among other concerns listed in her profile.
What is her therapy style like?
Her style is warm and practical. She listens without judgment, helps set small goals, and focuses on steps clients can use in day-to-day life.
How long has she been practicing?
Monica has 16 years of experience as a licensed social worker supporting people from varied backgrounds.
Where is Monica licensed and based?
She holds an LCSW credential and practices in Louisiana.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are session costs handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Monica?
Choose the continue button on this profile, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.