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LCSW

Marilyn Traynor, LCSW

  • Experience40 years
  • LocationIllinois
  • Focus areasADHD, Stress and Anxiety, and Grief
  • Therapy approachesAcceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Attachment-Based Therapy
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About Marilyn

Marilyn Traynor brings 40 years of clinical experience as an LCSW working in Illinois, guiding adults through complex emotional and life transitions. She focuses on helping people manage depression, anxiety, grief, and stress while addressing related concerns such as addiction, bipolar mood challenges, and ADHD.

Background and approach

Her long tenure has shaped a thoughtful, individualized practice focused on practical coping skills alongside deeper emotional work. Her counseling emphasizes compassionate, depth-oriented engagement that helps clients examine relationship patterns, self-esteem issues, and trauma-related responses.

Marilyn often works with those navigating caregiver strain, aging and chronic health concerns, and the shifting demands of midlife. She draws on a range of evidence-informed methods to help people build resilience, improve communication, and regain a sense of purpose.

Sessions are tailored to each person's needs and pace, blending skill-building with exploration of underlying feelings and attachment patterns. Marilyn aims to create a steady, respectful space where adults can process difficult experiences, strengthen coping strategies, and pursue meaningful change over time.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care



Marilyn integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) into her clinical work. ACT helps clients clarify personal values and learn practical acceptance and mindfulness skills to reduce the struggle with painful thoughts and emotions, which can be useful for anxiety, grief, or life transitions. CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and teaching structured strategies to shift those patterns, often helping with depression, stress, and managing mood symptoms.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist works with each person to explore goals, preferences, and what feels most helpful early in treatment, then adapts methods and pacing over time to match evolving needs and outcomes.

Online therapy offers flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging, making it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules or to access care from different locations. These formats allow licensed professionals to provide continuity of care and practical skills training while accommodating varying communication styles and life demands.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Marilyn commonly address?
She works with a broad range of issues including stress, anxiety, grief, depression, relationship and family problems, addictions, trauma and abuse, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Her style blends compassionate, depth-oriented counseling with practical skill-building to help clients explore emotions and develop resilient coping strategies.
How long has she practiced clinically?
Marilyn has four decades of clinical experience, bringing sustained practice and perspective to her therapeutic work.
What credentials and location are relevant?
She is licensed as an LCSW in Illinois under IL LCSW 149006091 and provides services based in that state.
Does she work with clients in other countries or languages?
She conducts therapy in English and does accept international clients.
Which session formats are available?
Therapy can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to accommodate different preferences.
How are fees handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What steps are needed to begin working together?
Prospective clients start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and scheduling according to therapist availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyGriefSelf esteemDepressionCoping with life changes

Also works with

AddictionsRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoachingCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAging and geriatric issuesAttachment issuesBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressChronic pain, illness, and disabilityCodependencyCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionFamily problemsForgivenessGuilt and shameHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisMood disordersMulticultural concernsPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-harmSelf-loveSexual assault and abuseSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

40+ years

Licensed

Illinois

Languages

English

What Marilyn can help with

Marilyn Traynor works with clients on stress and anxiety, grief, self esteem, depression, and coping with life changes.

Marilyn works with clients navigating depression, anxiety, grief, and significant life transitions.

How Marilyn approaches therapy

Marilyn's clinical approaches include 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, and Solution-Focused Therapy.

Experience and training

Marilyn is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Illinois, with 40 years of clinical experience.