- Years in practice
- 21
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- New Jersey
- Languages
- English
- Focus
- Stress, Anxiety
- Focus
- Relationship issues
- Focus
- Family conflicts
About Claire
Claire McDonough is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 21 years of experience helping people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and parenting concerns. She practices from New Jersey and offers practical, down-to-earth support for people facing relationship strain, grief, addiction, ADHD, and other life challenges. She begins by listening closely and building trust.
Sessions focus on clear goals and small, doable steps. Claire balances respect with gentle challenges to help people make changes that matter in daily life.
Background and approach
Her background includes work across a range of mental health settings. That variety means she has seen many kinds of struggles and knows how to adjust her approach for each person. She draws on methods that help with moods, coping skills, and communication problems.
Claire commonly uses approaches that teach concrete skills and explore emotional patterns. She blends thinking-focused techniques with mindfulness and emotion-centered work to help with issues like anger, intimacy-related problems, and family of origin concerns. People who contact her can expect straightforward talk, clear feedback, and tools to practice between sessions.
She also supports parents who feel overwhelmed by caregiving, family stress, or parenting challenges. Her style aims to make therapy useful and manageable for everyday life.
What Claire works with
Everything Claire lists, in the therapist's own terms. Parenting is the reason this directory exists; the rest shows what else Claire helps people with.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Claire lists
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Motivational Interviewing
- Psychodynamic Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How evidence-based approaches translate to online care
Claire commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people identify unhelpful thinking and test out new behaviors; CBT is often useful for anxiety, depression, and managing day-to-day stress. She also brings Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills into work with strong emotions and impulsive behavior, teaching tools for distress tolerance and emotional regulation. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) is used when relationship patterns and attachment needs are central, helping people notice and change interaction cycles that cause pain.Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. Claire will discuss goals, try methods that match needs, and adjust based on what feels most helpful. The process is collaborative and practical, aiming for strategies people can use between sessions.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy fit different lives. Video sessions allow face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or when someone prefers not to be on camera. Live chat and text-based messaging support shorter check-ins, step-by-step coaching, and follow-up between longer sessions. These options give flexibility for scheduling and for choosing how to engage in therapy.
Questions people ask about Claire
What kinds of concerns does Claire help with?
She supports people facing stress, anxiety, depression, parenting questions, relationship and intimacy-related issues, addictions, grief, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and trauma and abuse.
What is her therapeutic style like?
Her style is direct and compassionate. Claire listens first, then offers practical skills and gentle challenges to reach goals.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 21 years of experience working in a variety of mental health settings and has helped people with mood, behavioral, and relationship concerns.
What are Claire's credentials and where is she located?
She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, licensed in New Jersey and practices from that state.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
What session formats are available?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with Claire?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on the therapist's availability.
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