Malissa Monaghan

Malissa Monaghan is a licensed mental health counselor with 25 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, anger, grief, and depression. She works with clients who face trauma, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, workplace pressures, and identity-related issues including LGBT matters. Her voice is direct and calm, and she focuses on practical steps people can use right away.

In sessions she uses a mix of listening and problem-solving. She helps clients spot patterns that keep them stuck and teaches skills to change them. Conversations cover ways to cope with mood shifts, improve communication, and handle difficult emotions such as anger or shame.

Her approach blends client-centered work with structured techniques. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) tools are used to reshape unhelpful thinking and behavior. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills are offered for emotional regulation and distress tolerance when needed.

She also draws on psychodynamic ideas to understand long-standing patterns that affect relationships and choices. Solution-focused techniques help people set clear goals and test small changes between sessions. This mix aims to match practical skill-building with deeper reflection.

Malissa practices in New York as an NY LMHC. Sessions are conducted in English. She supports people dealing with autism-related challenges, co-occurring conditions, social anxiety, bipolar disorder, parenting and fatherhood concerns, workplace issues, and the struggles of young adults.

How her approaches guide online work

Malissa often uses Client-Centered Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in her work. Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely and reflecting what matters to the person, which helps build trust and clarity about goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy offers concrete tools to change thinking and habits that fuel anxiety, depression, or anger.

She views finding the right approach as a collaborative process. The therapist and client decide together which methods to try based on symptoms, life demands, and personal preferences. That plan can change over time as progress and new needs emerge.

If you are considering online sessions, confirm the available session options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, require less travel, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also allow use of worksheets, skill practices, and real-time coaching that fit into everyday routines. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT and client-centered techniques effectively in remote formats, and treatment choices are tailored to the individual's goals and circumstances.