Therapist profile
Monica Cruz, LCSW
LCSW - Relationships and parenting concerns
Continue with MonicaAbout
- Attachment work
- CBT strategies
- Emotion regulation skills
About Monica
Monica Cruz is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Louisiana with 16 years of clinical experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma and abuse, addictions, parenting strains, grief, intimacy and relationship concerns, and related challenges. Sessions focus on practical steps and clear goals rather than vague promises.
Her approach is straightforward and problem-focused. She uses attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. She also applies client-centered listening and cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and build manageable new habits. Dialectical skills and elements of the Gottman Method appear when addressing strong emotions and communication troubles.
Monica aims to help people break large problems into small steps. She asks questions, listens, and helps set realistic goals clients can try between sessions. That can mean practicing new ways to talk to a partner, setting boundaries with family, or building routines to sleep and eat better.
Her long experience includes work with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. That background informs how she adjusts plans to fit different lives and responsibilities. She keeps the focus on what clients can do next, not on abstract theory.
People interested in starting are asked to use the online process to match and schedule a session. The first meetings tend to be assessment and goal-setting, followed by short actionable exercises tailored to the client’s situation.
How sessions work
How Monica uses therapeutic approaches online
Monica draws on attachment-based therapy to look at how early relationship patterns influence current interactions. This approach helps when connection, abandonment, or attachment issues affect how someone responds in partnerships and parenting situations.She also uses client-centered work, which emphasizes listening and reflecting so clients can name their priorities. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used alongside that to spot unhelpful thoughts and test new behaviors in small steps. CBT is often applied for anxiety, depression, sleep and eating pattern changes, and coping with life transitions.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Monica will talk with the client about their goals, try methods that fit their situation, and adjust based on what helps. That may mean practicing communication exercises, trying behavioral experiments, or learning emotion regulation skills together.
The profile does not list which online session formats are provided, so confirm the available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around parenting, work, and other commitments. It can also allow shorter check-ins, sessions without video when helpful, or flexible scheduling to match school or work breaks.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
16+ years
Listed in
Louisiana
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar symptoms, addictions, trauma and many relationship and parenting concerns listed in her specialties.
How would she describe her therapeutic style?
Her style blends client-centered listening with practical methods like CBT and DBT skills to set concrete goals and small steps clients can practice between sessions.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 16 years of experience as a clinician working with a wide range of concerns and cultural backgrounds.
Is she a licensed clinician and where is she based?
She is an LCSW licensed in Louisiana.
Can I meet with her if I live outside the United States?
Sessions are offered in English and she does not accept international clients at this time.
What session formats are offered?
The original profile does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What do I need to do to begin?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete the short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.