- CBT techniques
- DBT skills work
- Solution-focused steps
About Malissa
Malissa Monaghan is a New York LMHC with 25 years of clinical experience. She works with adults who are facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family concerns, grief, sleep problems, parenting strain, and feelings of guilt and shame.
She focuses on practical support. Sessions often include talking through current problems, learning skills for emotion regulation, and trying different ways to respond to difficult thoughts. She uses several therapy methods to match what a person needs in the moment.
Her style is straightforward and person-centered. That means she listens for what matters most to the client and adjusts her approach as issues unfold. She draws on cognitive behavioral work to address unhelpful thinking and on solution-focused techniques to identify small, manageable steps.
Malissa also uses elements of dialectical behavior therapy to teach emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills. Psychodynamic ideas inform deeper conversations about patterns that repeat across relationships and time. Together these methods are used to address concerns like social anxiety, workplace stress, mood disorders, and isolation.
Over her career she has worked with people facing co-occurring conditions and the complexities of parenting and fatherhood issues. She offers therapy in English in New York and does not take international clients. Before booking, confirm the current session options and scheduling details through the practice intake.
Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions
Malissa commonly uses client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) in her work. Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and responding to what the client says matters most, helping clarify priorities and next steps. CBT looks at how thoughts influence feelings and behavior and teaches practical skills to test and change unhelpful thinking patterns. DBT offers concrete tools for managing intense emotions, improving distress tolerance, and building better interpersonal effectiveness.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or has not helped before, then try methods that fit those needs. That collaborative process helps adjust techniques over time rather than committing to a single method at the start.
Confirm the current session formats before booking so you know what options are offered. Online appointments can help fit therapy into daily life by reducing commute time, allowing shorter check-ins when needed, or making it easier to schedule around work and family demands. These practical benefits make it easier to keep therapy consistent while figuring out which approaches feel most helpful.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Listed in
New York
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she support?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family matters, grief, sleep problems, parenting issues, guilt and shame, and related mood and adjustment difficulties.
How does she approach shame and guilt?
She combines client-centered listening with cognitive behavioral methods to address self-critical thinking and uses DBT skills for regulating strong emotions tied to shame and guilt.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She holds 25 years of experience working in clinical settings and private practice with adults facing a range of emotional and interpersonal problems.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is a New York LMHC and provides therapy to people located in New York.
Does she work in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the US work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How are sessions billed?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
What should I do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session once matched.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.