Victoria Monaghan Psychotherapy, LCSW

Having several family members who were adopted, I understood the realities of childhood trauma at a very early age. I am a naturally empathic and sensitive person and have always known my purpose in life was to help others. In college, I became interested in psychology and had a deep desire to understand human behavior. I often wondered, “Why are we the way we are?” Through education, internships, and volunteering, I began to understand how our earliest relationships and experiences shape our personalities, perspectives, and neurobiology. Throughout my professional career, I have delved into infant mental health, early childhood development, attachment-based parenting, family systems approaches, and best practices for trauma treatment. Now, I am a certified trauma professional and have distinctive training in adoption competency, child-parent psychotherapy, Circle of Security Parenting, and a variety of treatment modalities that address trauma, family conflict, and attachment-related concerns.

I am an individual and family therapist for children, teens, young adults, and struggling parents. I use a trauma-informed and strengths-based lens when working with every client. My treatment style is selected according to each individual’s needs and goals for treatment. When working with children and families, I commonly use TF-CBT, family systems, trust-based relational intervention, child-parent psychotherapy, Circle of Security Parenting, and play-based approaches. With teens and adults, my approach is often person-centered, psychodynamic, and solution-focused with CBT and TF-CBT. My goal is to support individuals and families on their journey toward healing, connection, and balance. Collaboratively, we will focus on your priorities and restore relationships, expand self-confidence, overcome anxiety, and ignite post-traumatic growth.

As a trauma therapist and developmental specialist, I have intently studied the impact of trauma on neurobiology and the developing brain. The silver lining in this research is that the brain is ever-changing and has the capacity to create new neural pathways throughout our lifespan. I am interested in learning more about the growing field of neuroscience and its application in psychotherapy. A deeper understanding of neurobiology will encourage new possibilities for expanding flexible thinking, emotional regulation, and executive functioning skills in clients seeking mental health treatment.

I am excited about the growing body of research on neurobiology and brain-based approaches to mental health care. The brain and the nervous system remain the most mysterious and unknown systems in anatomy. New information on the mind-body connection will enhance treatment options for a variety of conditions. A better understanding of the brain’s functioning will also provide validation for expressive and creative therapies that are often misjudged and unappreciated despite the valuable mental processing that is facilitated through art and play.