Marla Monk, LCSW, LISW-CP

Marla Monk is a licensed clinical social worker based in South Carolina. She holds the LCSW and the LISW-CP and brings five years of direct clinical experience to her work. Marla creates a calm, practical space where people can talk about stress, anxiety, relationships and trauma. She aims to help clients find concrete ways to feel steadier day to day.

Marla draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new responses. She also uses client-centered techniques to listen closely and shape goals together. When relationship concerns arise, she brings in skills from the Gottman Method and emotionally-focused ideas to improve communication and connection.

Her focus includes grief, parenting strain, caregiver stress, compassion fatigue and issues related to adoption and foster care. She also works with concerns such as anger, workplace pressure, intimacy problems, and the effects of past abuse. Marla addresses both practical coping skills and the emotional work that follows major life changes.

Sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules. Therapy follows a collaborative pace so goals and methods are chosen together. Marla’s approach is straightforward and aimed at helping people make useful changes without overcomplication.

She provides services in English and practices in South Carolina. Costs vary with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, a short matching questionnaire is completed before scheduling.

How evidence-based approaches work online

CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and trying practical behavior changes to reduce distress. It is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and for building coping skills.

Client-centered therapy emphasizes listening and working at the client's pace to set goals that matter to them. This approach helps people feel heard and guides problem solving without judgment.

Dialectical behavior therapy adds skills for managing intense emotions, tolerating distress, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. It can help with anger, relationship conflicts, and emotional overwhelm.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk through goals, try methods that fit the client's needs, and adjust as progress is made. This is a collaborative process where preferences and outcomes shape the plan.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video works well for full sessions and visual cues, phone can be a simpler option with less bandwidth, live chat or text messaging suits quick check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These options make scheduling easier and help people fit therapy into busy lives.