Luanne Maniacek , LCSW

Luanne Maniacek is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing in Illinois with 40 years of experience supporting individuals and families through stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting and caregiver strain, career concerns, mood disorders, and life transitions. She also holds certification as a Certified Alcohol and Drug Addictions Counselor, a credential that reflects specialized training in working with substance use and in applying either a disease model or harm reduction strategies when clinically appropriate.

Over the course of her career she has worked with a wide spectrum of age groups, cultural backgrounds, sexual orientations, and belief systems, and has supervised graduate-level therapist interns as well as counselors in community mental health settings. She has also led crisis intervention teams, bringing experience in both individual care and system-level coordination.

Her approach is strength-based and humanistic, focused on identifying and building on existing resources while teaching new skills to manage challenges. She draws from a range of clinical modalities, including Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), client-centered and psychodynamic perspectives, and Motivational Interviewing to tailor interventions to each person’s needs. Maniacek emphasizes empathic listening, thoughtful challenge when indicated, and collaborative goal-setting so that progress is guided by the client’s values and priorities.

In beginning work with someone, she prioritizes understanding the person’s history, perspective, expectations, and goals, and maintains ongoing communication about progress and next steps throughout therapy.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take committed action toward what matters to them while learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings. It can be useful for stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions by increasing psychological flexibility.

Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes empathic listening and collaboration, offering a supportive space in which clients explore their experiences and find their own solutions; it is especially well suited to relationship, self-esteem, and caregiver concerns. Motivational Interviewing is a focused, goal-oriented approach designed to resolve ambivalence and strengthen motivation for change, which can be helpful for substance use, lifestyle changes, and readiness-related issues.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Luanne works collaboratively with each person to identify the methods that best match their needs, goals, and preferences, and adjusts the plan over time based on progress and feedback.

Online therapy formats such as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging offer flexible options to fit different schedules and comfort levels. These options make it easier to maintain consistency, access care from home or while traveling, and engage in therapy in ways that suit an individual’s daily life.