About Marilyn
Marilyn Traynor brings 40 years of clinical practice to her work in Illinois. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who focuses on helping people through depression, anxiety, grief, and major life transitions. Her tone is calm and practical, aimed at people who need steady support during hard times.
She spends time listening to what matters most and helping clients name the problems that feel overwhelming. Sessions often focus on skills to manage stress, steps to improve sleep and mood, and ways to handle relationships and work pressure.
Background and approach
She also helps people facing addiction, chronic health issues, or caregiving strain. Marilyn pays special attention to concerns that arise in midlife and later years. She supports those dealing with aging, caregiver burden, loss of roles, and chronic pain or illness.
Her work includes helping people rebuild confidence and find meaningful routines after big life changes. Her approach blends practical tools with attention to emotional patterns. Techniques draw from cognitive behavioral methods, acceptance strategies, attachment-focused work, and approaches that strengthen emotional regulation.
She aims for clear, doable steps rather than complex theory. Clients who find her helpful tend to want a thoughtful, experienced guide who listens and offers steady direction. The process is collaborative: goals are set together and adjusted as needs change.
Marilyn welcomes people who want to work toward lasting improvements in mood, relationships, and daily functioning.
Online approaches that meet you where you are
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) emphasizes noticing thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choosing actions that match your values; it can help with anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and trying new behaviors, which is useful for managing stress, mood, and daily routines. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and helps people change ways of relating that cause pain or distance.Choosing the right approach is a joint process. Marilyn works with each person to figure out which combination of methods fits their goals, needs, and preferences. Together they set aims, try techniques, and adjust the plan as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, and text-based messaging to make therapy flexible. Video lets you keep visual connection for deeper emotional work. Phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text messaging work well for quick check-ins, written reflection, and ongoing support between sessions. These options help people fit therapy into busy lives and different schedules.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Coaching
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 40 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English