Malikah Duncan, LMFT

Malikah Duncan is a licensed marriage and family therapist in Washington with 20 years of clinical experience. She works with people facing anxiety, depression, relationship strain, trauma and abuse, and issues like parenting, grief, and addiction. Malikah aims to create a calm, respectful space where clients can speak openly and start practical change.

She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) along with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and client-centered methods. Sessions focus on short, clear goals and skills people can use between meetings. Malikah often includes emotion-focused and dialectical strategies when feelings are intense or relationships are under stress.

Her background includes work in telehealth, private practice, community mental health clinics, hospitals, military bases, detention centers, and schools. Over the years she has supported people from many income levels and cultural backgrounds, and has experience addressing blended family issues and family of origin concerns.

Malikah describes her style as personable and flexible. She avoids stigmatizing labels and adapts plans to each person's needs. The approach tends to be collaborative, practical, and focused on building coping skills.

Clients who choose her usually want clear steps to manage stress, improve relationships, or recover after trauma. She emphasizes listening, kindness, and concrete strategies that fit daily life. If someone is ready to make changes, Malikah offers steady support through the process.

How these approaches work online

CBT helps people notice and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors through structured exercises and homework. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and managing ADHD-related routines.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, focuses on values and taking meaningful action even when difficult feelings show up. It pairs well with behavioral work when someone wants motivation and purpose alongside symptom relief.

Client-centered therapy centers on a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship and aims to make clients feel heard as they figure things out. That supportive stance is often used alongside skills-based methods for a balanced plan.

Finding the best approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and life demands, and then shape a mix of techniques that fits. Clients are invited to give feedback so the plan changes with their progress.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to provide flexibility. Video is useful for deeper conversation and visual cues, phone works when bandwidth is limited, live chat and text are handy for shorter check-ins or when not wanting to be on camera. These options make it easier to fit therapy into work, school, or family routines while still working toward clear goals.