Olivia Monahan LSW
Olivia graduated from Monmouth University with her BSW and immediately after started back at Monmouth for her MSW as an Advanced Standing student, expected to graduate in May 2023. Olivia has experience working in inpatient, partial care, and outpatient settings, both with adults and children. Olivia also has experience working with the LGBTQ+ community and clients experiencing grief and loss. She has been working in the Integrated Adolescence program and enjoys working with this population. Olivia also worked at Camp Nejeda, a camp for children with Type 1 Diabetes, as psychosocial support for campers and staff. As a T1D herself, Olivia is very passionate about this population.
Olivia enjoys working with clients in a holistic way that allows for them to explore parts of themselves that may not have been previously discovered, in a safe and welcoming environment. Olivia’s approach to therapy is conversational, with empowerment and relational theories as the focus. Olivia prides herself in integrating the relationship between mental health and chronic illness and often teaches her clients self-care and mindfulness techniques that cater to both of these aspects of their lives. Olivia believes in supporting clients through empathy, compassion, relationship building, and with the understanding that each client has something unique to bring to the table.
Get to Know Olivia
Olivia has spent the last decade knowing she wanted to help people and when she was given support by mental health professionals and wanted to give back, she knew social work was the best path for her. Olivia cares deeply for others and always tries to advocate for what is right. In her free time, Olivia enjoys spending time with her nieces and nephews, art, nature, reading, exercising, cooking, baking, and writing. Olivia even published a book of poetry at age nineteen called Golden Year, based on her “golden birthday” and her experiences in life up until that point. Olivia believes that artistic expression in any form is its own therapy and can often convey messages we may not know how to put into words.
One of Olivia’s favorite quotes is “The Paradoxical Commandments” by Kent M. Keith, and some of her favorite lines are: “People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway… The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway…Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway…People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway…Give the world the best you have and you’ll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.”
