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MM Portrait of Marla Monk

Marla Monk

Compassionate care with practical tools for change

LCSW, LISW-CP South Carolina

Experience
5 years in practice
Focus areas
Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse
Approaches
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Client-Centered Therapy
Languages
English
Explore online therapy options

About Marla

Marla Monk brings a client-centered approach informed by cognitive behavioral techniques to help people navigate stress, relationship struggles, trauma, and life transitions. Marla uses a blend of practical skills and reflective exploration to address concerns such as anxiety, depression, grief, self-esteem, intimacy-related issues, and compassion fatigue.

Background and approach

Her work also includes support for adoption and foster care matters, caregiver stress, communication and control issues, and recovery from sexual assault and domestic violence. Licensed to practice in South Carolina, Marla holds LCSW and LISW-CP credentials and draws on five years of clinical practice to tailor treatment to each person’s needs.

She integrates methods from DBT and Emotionally-Focused Therapy when helpful and employs evidence-informed tools to strengthen coping, improve relationships, and process trauma. Marla also addresses career and parenting challenges, family-of-origin patterns, and concerns specific to LGBT clients and women.

Her style balances practical strategies with empathy to guide clients toward clearer goals and healthier patterns.

Therapeutic approaches adapted for online care

Marla commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify and change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns; this approach is practical and often applied to anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes. She also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy when relationship patterns and attachment issues are central, helping partners or family members understand emotional responses and build stronger connections. Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques are incorporated when clients need skills for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Marla works collaboratively with clients to select methods that match their goals, values, and preferences. She adapts interventions over time, combining skill-based CBT work with relational or emotion-focused practices as progress and needs emerge.

Online therapy with Marla is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility for varying schedules and comfort levels. These formats make it easier to access consistent care from South Carolina without travel, support timely check-ins between sessions, and allow clients to practice skills in daily life with ongoing guidance from a licensed professional.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does she address?
Marla works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, relationship and intimacy-related problems, trauma and abuse, depression, grief, self-esteem, and compassion fatigue, plus related family and career concerns.
What is Marla's therapeutic style?
Her style is client-centered and collaborative, integrating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy along with DBT, Emotionally-Focused Therapy, and Gottman principles to match techniques to each client's needs.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has five years of clinical experience working with diverse concerns and applying evidence-informed therapies in her practice.
What credentials and location are listed?
Marla holds LCSW and LISW-CP credentials and is licensed in South Carolina; exact license details are CA LCSW 88007 and SC LISW-CP 14794.
Does she offer services in other languages or accept international clients?
Services are provided in English only and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available?
Clients may connect through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on scheduling and preference.
How are sessions priced?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are accessed via a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are involved in beginning therapy?
To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesTrauma and abuseSelf esteemCoping with life changes

Also works with

LGBTFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesDepressionCompassion fatigue

Additional focus areas

Adoption and foster careCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceFamily of origin issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesPost-traumatic stressSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseWomen's issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Gottman MethodMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingSolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

5+ years

Licensed

California, South Carolina, Virginia

Languages

English