Marilyn Traynor, LCSW

Marilyn Traynor is an LCSW - Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing in Illinois with 40 years of clinical experience. She focuses on common but often heavy problems such as depression, anxiety, grief, and major life changes. She also works with people dealing with caregiver stress, chronic health challenges, and emotional strain that comes with midlife and later stages.

Her sessions are straightforward and practical. She listens for what is most urgent and helps people break concerns into small, manageable steps. Conversations often focus on skills for coping, making decisions, and handling relationship and work stresses.

Marilyn uses several approaches to help people make changes that feel doable. She draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy to clarify values and take action, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify patterns of thinking that keep problems going. She also uses Attachment-Based and Client-Centered methods to track how past relationships shape current reactions.

For people in blended households she can help sort the practical and emotional parts of merging routines and relationships, and address loyalty conflicts or parenting stress. She frames work as collaborative problem-solving rather than quick fixes.

Marilyn has spent decades working with adults through transitions such as divorce, caregiving, job loss, and recovery from addiction and trauma. Her practice aims to help people find clearer next steps and steadier coping skills over time.