About Marikay
Marikay Gazda helps people who are worn out by stress, anxiety, grief, and big life changes. She is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 35 years of experience. Her approach is steady and practical, aimed at making small changes that add up over time.
She focuses on depression, panic attacks, and compassion fatigue. She also supports people dealing with aging, serious illness, caregiving strain, and end-of-life concerns. Common themes include loneliness, loss of purpose, and struggles with self-esteem.
How Marikay works
In sessions she listens closely and follows the person’s lead. She uses client-centered methods to make space for what matters most to the individual. She also draws on cognitive behavioral techniques to help people notice thoughts that get in the way and try different patterns.
Marikay brings a psychodynamic lens when past experiences shape current feelings. She uses emotionally focused ideas to strengthen how people understand and express emotions. Solution-focused steps are woven in to set clear, achievable goals and track progress.
Her work is practical and compassionate. Longstanding experience with caregiving, chronic illness, and hospice issues informs how she supports people through hard transitions. She aims to help clients build self-love, repair communication, and find renewed purpose.
Marikay lists 5 ways of working on the entry:
What Marikay works with
The areas below are the ones Marikay selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
Also listed
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Attachment issues
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Emptiness
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Isolation / loneliness
- Life purpose
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 35 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Illinois |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that fit online therapy
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and following the person’s priorities. It helps people feel heard and explores what matters most to them, which can ease feelings like loneliness and emptiness. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, breaks down unhelpful thought and behavior patterns and offers practical tests and experiments to reduce anxiety and depression. Emotionally focused ideas help people name and move through strong feelings so they feel less stuck.Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences, then recommend a mix of methods. This is a collaborative process and the plan can change as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and styles. Video is useful when visual connection matters, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat works for quick check-ins, and messaging supports ongoing reflection between sessions. These options make it simpler to keep therapy consistent around work, caregiving, or medical appointments.
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Common questions
What concerns does Marikay commonly help with?
What is her therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
What credentials and location are listed?
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What session formats are available online?
How does pricing work for sessions?
How do I begin working with her?
A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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