- Person-centered care
- Practical coping skills
- Focus on meaning
About Marikay
Marikay Gazda is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 35 years of experience. She helps people who are feeling anxious, overwhelmed by grief, or worn down by caregiving and health challenges. Her style is steady and compassionate, aimed at helping someone find practical ways to feel better day to day.
Clients often come for help with stress, panic attacks, sadness, or the strain of big life changes. Marikay focuses on building self-love, easing isolation, and improving how people communicate with others. She pays attention to the real details of life that make coping harder or easier.
Her work is person-centered and collaborative. She listens to what matters to each individual, and then uses techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and other approaches to try new ways of responding to worries and painful memories. Sessions include talking through feelings and practicing different steps to reduce distress.
Marikay also brings experience supporting people facing chronic illness, caregiving stress, cancer, and end-of-life concerns. She helps people manage guilt, shame, and emptiness while exploring meaning and purpose. The goal is to build stronger coping skills and greater emotional resilience.
People who want steady guidance through major transitions or chronic stress may find her approach helpful. She works in English and is based in Illinois. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How therapeutic approaches work in online care
Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes understanding each person without judgment and following their lead to set goals. This approach helps people who need a supportive space to talk through feelings and figure out what matters most to them.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and testing new behaviors. It is useful for anxiety, panic attacks, and everyday stress because it gives concrete skills you can practice between sessions.
Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will listen to your goals and preferences and then suggest which methods to try. You and the therapist adjust the plan over time based on what helps most.
Confirm the current online session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy day, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. They can also support continuity of care during illness or caregiving demands by removing the need to leave home, while still focusing on practical steps and emotional processing.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
35+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does this therapist address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, panic disorder and panic attacks, self-esteem issues, relationship struggles, and related concerns such as caregiver stress and chronic illness.
What is the therapeutic style like?
The approach is compassionate and person-centered. Sessions involve listening, practical skill-building, and collaborative problem solving tailored to each person's needs.
How much experience does the therapist have?
She brings 35 years of clinical experience working with people facing life transitions, chronic health challenges, and emotional distress.
What credentials and location apply?
She is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker, noted as LCSW, and practices in Illinois.
In which languages are sessions offered?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with this therapist?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin a therapy relationship?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability.