Monica Dada (Barham), LCSW-C

Monica Dada (Barham) is a licensed clinical social worker with twenty years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, addiction, depression, and relationship and family concerns. She focuses on thoughts and everyday habits to help people change patterns that get in the way of daily life. Monica creates a calm, attentive space where people can speak honestly and begin practical work on issues that matter to them.

She uses straightforward methods to help people notice difficult thoughts and try new behaviors. Sessions emphasize small, doable steps - not long lectures. Monica draws on approaches that encourage acceptance of hard feelings while taking action toward valued goals.

Monica has worked with people facing grief, trauma, intimacy and body-image struggles, parenting and blended-family stress, caregiver strain, and chronic illness or pain. Her experience includes supporting clients with identity questions such as gender dysphoria and LGBT concerns, along with addiction and eating-related issues.

In session she blends client-centered listening with goal-focused work. That means a respectful, person-first stance alongside tools from cognitive behavioral and solution-focused methods when they fit. Motivational interviewing is included to help when people feel stuck or unsure about change.

Monica practices in Maryland and sees therapy as a collaborative effort. She aims to help people build everyday habits that support coping, clearer communication, and steadier moods over time.

How therapeutic approaches guide online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice painful thoughts and feelings without getting pulled into them, then choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns. CBT often helps with anxiety, mood concerns, and habit change.

Finding the right approach is part of therapy. The therapist will work with the client to decide which methods fit their goals and preferences. That choice is collaborative and can shift as progress is made or as new issues come up.

Please confirm current session options before booking since formats are not specified here. In general, online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. It can also let people connect from a quieter setting or use audio-only sessions if video is difficult. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT and CBT tools to work effectively in remote sessions, focusing on practical homework, thought records, and skills practice that fit into everyday life.