Works with
How Marilyn works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Years in practice
- 40
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Marilyn
Marilyn Traynor is a licensed clinical social worker with 40 years of experience helping people manage strong emotions and life transitions. She practices in Illinois and focuses on concerns such as depression, anxiety, anger, grief, and stress. Marilyn works with adults who are looking for steady, experienced guidance through hard moments and long-term challenges.
Her background includes long-term clinical work with adults facing midlife and later-life issues. That experience informs how she approaches caregiver stress, chronic illness, and the emotional shifts that come with aging.
Background and approach
She uses practical, straightforward ways to help people regain balance and a sense of control. Marilyn blends several therapeutic methods to match each person's needs. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address thoughts and actions.
Attachment-based and client-centered approaches shape how she builds trust and explores relationship patterns. Sessions tend to be conversational and goal-focused. Marilyn helps clients name patterns that cause pain, practice new coping skills, and try small changes between meetings.
She also offers longer-term work when people need deeper processing of grief, trauma, or longstanding relationship wounds. Her style is calm, patient, and respectful of each person’s pace. People who want a steady, experienced clinician to help them handle life’s stressors often find this approach helpful.
What Marilyn works with
Everything Marilyn lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Marilyn's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Grief
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Addictions
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
Approaches Marilyn lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-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 Marilyn’s Approaches Translate to Online Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy helps people notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting ruled by them. It focuses on values and small actions that move someone toward a life they care about, which can help with anxiety, depression, and anger. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact and teaches practical skills to change unhelpful patterns. It’s often useful for stress, mood symptoms, and everyday coping.Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Marilyn will talk with each person about goals and preferences, then suggest methods that fit. That decision is collaborative and can change over time as needs shift.
Online sessions are offered via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy accessible. Video lets people use face-to-face conversation, phone can be easier when bandwidth is low, live chat supports brief check-ins, and messaging is useful for ongoing, flexible contact. These options make it simpler to fit therapy into work, caregiving, or medical schedules while keeping continuity of care.
Questions people ask about Marilyn
What concerns does Marilyn commonly address?
She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, anger, addictions, and a wide range of relationship and life-change issues.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
Marilyn combines practical skill-building with reflective conversation. Sessions are calm, direct, and aimed at workable changes.
What is her clinical background?
She is a licensed clinical social worker with 40 years of practice, primarily working with adults in Illinois.
Where is Marilyn located and licensed?
She practices in Illinois and holds an IL LCSW credential.
Which languages are supported and can she work internationally?
Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.
What session formats does she offer?
She provides video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different needs.
How are sessions paid for and what does cost look like?
Costs vary by location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions based on therapist availability.