Danika Girdner, MD, LCSW-C

Danika Girdner, MD, LCSW-C, is licensed in Maryland and brings five years of professional experience to her practice. She works with individuals and couples experiencing stress, anxiety, relationship difficulties, and family conflict, and she also supports parents navigating common parenting challenges. Danika combines a compassionate, non-judgmental stance with practical, evidence-based strategies to help clients move toward healthier patterns and stronger connections.

As a clinician who focuses on couples, she helps partners strengthen their relationship foundations by improving communication, deepening emotional connection, and addressing recurring conflicts that interfere with intimacy. Her approach centers on guiding partners through techniques grounded in research to foster healthier dynamics, manage disagreements constructively, and build lasting intimacy. Whether clients are facing significant challenges or seeking to enrich an already-stable relationship, Danika offers steady support and collaborative guidance every step of the way.

Danika’s credentials reflect her training and scope of practice - MD indicates a medical degree and LCSW-C denotes a licensed clinical social worker - and she applies that combined background to deliver attentive, goal-oriented care tailored to each client’s needs.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Danika draws from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and the Gottman Method to tailor care to each client’s needs. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values, notice unhelpful thought patterns, and take meaningful action toward what matters most - it can be useful for anxiety, avoidance, and stress. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and shifting thoughts and behaviors that maintain distress, making it a practical choice for anxiety, mood challenges, and communication patterns. The Gottman Method provides structured tools for couples to improve communication, repair conflict, and rebuild emotional closeness, which is especially helpful for partners working on intimacy and recurring relationship problems.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Danika works collaboratively with clients to determine which methods best suit their goals, preferences, and life circumstances. She adjusts techniques over time to match progress and changing needs.

Online therapy with Danika is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, providing flexibility to fit therapy into busy schedules. These options make it easier to attend sessions from home or elsewhere, maintain continuity during life transitions, and engage in regular work on relationship and family concerns without travel barriers.